Don't Close Your Eyes
by MooMooMilk
Summary: 1x2 3x4. During a Preventers mission, strange, inexplicable things start happening to the G-boys. Before they know it, they are forced to fight for their lives...or be trapped forever.
1. Default Chapter

Notes: I planned six chapters for this story, and they were originally to be posted on Halloween...but when I started writing, the whole thing somehow became really big, and I couldn't complete it in time. So...I decided to post the first chapter now and see what everyone thinks. My efforts to make it scary failed, and it seems to me that it turned out to be *really* cheesy instead...-_-;; Oh well. Now on with the show...  
  
~This story is strictly 1+2 and 3+4. Gundam Wing does not belong to me.  
  
~Part One~  
  
  
  
It had been a thirteen hour-long drive to their newest destination in the rural parts of America's Northern Dakota. Black Cedars College was tiny, with only about two thousand students, and situated in the middle of a vast expanse of forest. The nearby OaksTown was a good four hours drive away, and had a population even less then the college, not counting the various farm cows and chickens. The entire town only had one small grocery store, one miniscule diner, one tiny post office, and one radio station that brought in news from the outside world.  
  
There wasn't even a McDonalds.  
  
Needless to say, none of the five former pilots were particularly excited about their assignment, which was to infiltrate the college as students, and investigate the unknown deaths of twenty-seven people that had died there over the past year. Normally this wouldn't be a case that the Preventers would look into, but the fact that two of those deaths had been people Relena-sama had known couldn't be over-looked.  
  
During their long trip to the college, each of the retired pilots had observed their rural surroundings, and wondered how the hell the Queen of the World had managed to make friends from a place like this. Their brief stop in OaksTown had lead them to believe that Black Cedars College was every bit as run down and crummy as the town had been. Boy were they wrong.  
  
By the time Heero drove their van into the parking lot, the opinions of all five Preventers had drastically changed. Black Cedars was huge and elegant. The central building was ten stories high and complete with castle-like towers that only added to the overall mystery of the place.  
  
Colorful flowers and tall trees were planted everywhere, filling the air with a piney, fresh scent that the five young men gladly inhaled as they scrambled out of their vehicle. This place was definitely meant for rich, wealthy people.  
  
"We've already been registered for the fall term." Heero stated. "Orientation starts today, so it would be best to unpack our luggage as quickly as possible. We don't have much time and I'd like to get some rest before we go."  
  
Two years had passed since the war.  
  
The gundam pilots had all decided to join the Preventers as Commander Une's elite field agents. They were eighteen years old, with the exception of Trowa who had just turned nineteen a month ago. Every single one of them had matured for the better, not only physically, but psychologically as well.  
  
Heero had experienced a well-due growth spurt, and now stood at a solid height of five foot eleven. His body was sleek and muscular, though a little bit on the thin side. His shoulders had broadened, and there wasn't an ounce of fat on his well-toned frame. He worked out every day for two hours in the Preventer's private training room, and the results were that his muscles were rock hard and pleasantly defined, though not hideously bulging.  
  
His facial features hadn't changed much. The curve of his jaw had become slightly more defined, but that was the extent of the change. The same messy, spiky chocolate bangs fell into a pair of deep Prussian blues that although still intense, were not nearly quite as cold as they were before.  
  
Heero wasn't the Perfect Soldier anymore. The moment the war had ended, his barriers had started cracking, thanks to constant companionship with his fellow ex-Gundam pilots. The new Heero smiled more often, made small jokes at times, and openly cared for his friends without regarding it as a weakness. He still had a long way to go, but no one had any doubts that one day, his barriers would come down completely to reveal the hidden young man inside.  
  
After unlocking the trunk, Heero opened it and began to efficiently heft out a few suitcases and a bunch of duffel bags in varying colors. He easily tossed a large black duffel to Duo, who caught it with a grimace. "My gods, what in the world did I pack in here?" The braided young man groaned. Heero shrugged. " I think it was all of those snacks and cans of cola you bought in OaksTown when we stopped there earlier."  
  
At the mention of his beloved snacks, Duo visibly brightened and grinned back cheekily. "In that case, I don't mind carrying it." He hugged his duffel to his chest protectively. "And all these snacks are mine! I paid for them so I get to eat them!" Wufei rolled his eyes and said jokingly, "You keep on eating that junk, Maxwell, and one day you won't be so thin anymore."  
  
Duo pouted though he wasn't really offended. He knew Wufei was just playing. Besides, he wouldn't mind putting on a few more pounds. Of all of them, Duo's physical appearance had changed the least. Years of malnutrition on the destitute streets of L2 seemed to have permanently stunted his growth. He should've been as tall as Trowa, but during the past two years of freedom he had barely grown a centimeter, and was not happy to say the least. Even Quatre was taller then him now, though not by too much.  
  
Duo's braid had grown substantially, even if his body had not. The long, thick rope of shiny chestnut now hung nearly to his knees, and was what often made him the object of attention, wanted and unwanted both. The ex- pilot of Shinigami was pale, extremely slender, and sleekly built from hours of jogging each day. He might not have looked it, but he was strong enough to take care of himself when it came to fights.  
  
As for his face, Duo's cheekbones had become a bit more prominent, which emphasized his growing maturity. His long chestnut bangs were the same style it had been before, and they fell attractively into thick-lashed large violet eyes that often gave him the look of being an innocent, even though everyone knew Duo was far from that.  
  
The street urchin from L2 was a changed person. Post-war life had calmed him down somewhat, and he wasn't as prone to laughing maniacally or causing as much trouble as he had before. However, his sense of humor was still a great thing to be reckoned with, and the lively young man loved making pranks and cracking jokes, even if they weren't appreciated.  
  
Throwing the duffel over his shoulder, Duo wobbled slightly from the weight, and turned to follow his comrades as they started down the lightly forested path that lead to the living area. Each of the pilots were carrying their personal duffels. In the front of the group was Heero, who in addition to carrying his navy blue duffel was also balancing two heavy suitcases over each shoulder.  
  
Heero was macho man. His genetically enhanced cell tissue enabled him super strength, and though the bulging suitcases looked extremely heavy, Duo knew that Heero could lift that and more without even batting an eyelash or straining his muscles.  
  
Duo sighed inwardly and continued to trudge onward. He was admittedly jealous of his friend's obvious masculinity, while he himself was often mistaken for a girl, much to his dismay.  
  
It was a ten-minute trek through the peaceful woods before they reached the dorm area.  
  
Having observed the magnificent Central building from the parking lot, the five of them weren't all that surprised to see that the dorms of Black Cedar were actually large three-story mansions complete with individual lawns, gates, and fountains. They were all built in a row. The first one was number one, the second was two, and so on.  
  
Theirs was mansion number thirteen.  
  
It took them a bit longer to find their dorm because strangely enough, mansion number thirteen wasn't built in the same row with the other mansions. In fact, it was a good five minutes away from mansion number twelve.  
  
At the edge of the twelfth mansion, a smaller path branched out from the main road and went straight into the woods. Following this new path lead the Preventers easily to their newest home, which was situated in a small clearing completely surrounded by tall trees.  
  
Their mansion was painted all white, and Duo couldn't help but notice that it looked much grander then the other mansions. For one thing, it was five stories tall, and decorated much nicer.  
  
Besides the elegant fountain in the front, there were statues of cupids, gargoyles, and forest gnomes in all varying sizes situated around the huge front lawn. Of course the overall effect couldn't compete with one of Quatre's lavish homes, but it was nice all in its own right.  
  
Whooping gleefully, Duo waited for Heero to unlock the big front door before dashing inside.  
  
"I get to choose my room first!" He exclaimed cheerily, not even sparing the lavishly decorated ground floor a single look before dashing up the gleaming mahogany stairs. After him was Wufei, who carefully took off his shoes as was the custom in his country, before stepping through the door.  
  
The Chinese young man whistled appreciatively when he looked around.  
  
Everything seemed to be made out of gleaming, polished wood. The floor was a beautiful red wood, the walls looked to be cedar, and even the highly arched ceiling was wood.  
  
The place was filled with elegant paintings and expensive antique furniture. Colorful tapestries draped over sections of the carved walls, and the floor was covered with several Persian rugs that looked to be extremely expensive.  
  
Right above the doorway hung a beautiful chandelier that looked to be made of real crystal, and shiny brass candlebrellas jutted out gracefully from the walls in pairs, each fitted with seven new light bulbs. And this was only in the main hall.  
  
The others slowly entered the building.  
  
There were four rooms in total on the ground floor as they soon discovered, each with their own heavy oak door.  
  
To the left was a large sitting room, outfitted with a set of beautiful blue velvet sofas, and a large Panasonic television. There was also a giant window with heavy golden brocade curtains that gave a good view to the front yard. A colorful painting hung above the television, and a low glass coffee table sat in front of the sofas.  
  
Quatre looked at the television appreciatively. "There's a card here that says we've got well over a hundred channels." He exclaimed happily. "We'll be able to watch the news!"  
  
Trowa rewarded Quatre's perkiness with a small smile. The Winner heir was still the same, cheerful innocent he had met during the war. Two years hadn't changed his bubbly personality much. In fact, it seemed to have made him happier then ever.  
  
Physically however, Quatre grew about two inches taller, and although still slender, he was beginning to build a little more bulk thanks to daily lessons with his personal trainers. His golden hair was a little bit longer, but his angelic face hadn't changed at all. Trowa secretly thought that Quatre was like an angel without his wings.  
  
To the right of the hall was a rather big kitchen and dining room combined.  
  
Wufei took pleasure in exploring its many cupboards and pantries, discovering much to his delight that it was stocked well with provisions and utensils. Two big cupboard doors caught his attention, and he pulled them open, inadvertently discovering the refrigerator, which had been cleverly disguised.  
  
The refrigerator was also stocked full of gourmet, perishable goods. Wufei smiled as he noted the frozen duck in the freezer. It had been a while since he had traditional Chinese food. He would make sure to cook it later.  
  
Against the wall was a patterned porcelain sink, and next to it was a Pacific brand stove and oven. A microwave sat on a small tile counter next to the stove, and also on the counter was a waffle maker, an electronic can- opener, and a blender.  
  
The dining table was a circular piece of glossy cherry oak that had six matching tall-backed chairs with plush velvet seats. It was clearly antique, and looked almost too elegant to eat from. Hanging above the table was another chandelier, this one with candles. The entire kitchen was decorated in pale blue and white, with hints of gold. It looked very grand indeed.  
  
Heero was the one who discovered the small, almost bare room hidden behind one of the large tapestries in the hall. The only pieces of furniture inside was a narrow bed, a chair, and a small desk. Connected to it was a tiny bathroom with a toilet and a sink.. The two small rooms were painted white.  
  
Upon seeing these rooms, Wufei's onyx eyes brightened considerably. "I'll stay here." He announced, immediately walking in and dumping his gray duffel on the nondescript bed.  
  
Heero quirked an eyebrow. "May I ask why? There are bound to be better rooms upstairs." Wufei shook his head and began to unpack. "This entire mansion is nice, but I need a room that's not too elegant so I can meditate in peace without being distracted. This room will do just fine."  
  
Shrugging, Heero turned and walked out of the room. The stairs were at the end of the hall, and these he started up easily with the luggage still balanced over his shoulders.  
  
The second floor had two rooms separated by a very long hall. A large bathroom decorated in red and silver was situated between the rooms. Heero found Quatre already on the second floor, humming to himself as he unpacked his things inside the room closest to the stairs.  
  
"Need any help?" The blonde Arabian asked pleasantly as he noticed Heero carrying the heavy luggage by his doorway. Heero shook his head and walked on.  
  
There were four rooms on the third floor, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an extensive library, all separated by three short hallways. Heero found Trowa unpacking in the bedroom closest to the bathroom. The former Heavyarms pilot was smiling a little as he unpacked.  
  
Trowa was still the tallest of them all. He stood at a height of six foot one, and was very flexible and wiry because of his experience with the circus. The quiet young man wasn't as silent as he used to be, which was a good thing. His notorious bang was still there, though not as thick, and not as awkward. At times from a certain angle, one could actually see him with two emerald eyes instead of just one.  
  
The uni-banged young man immediately wiped the smile off his face when he saw Heero watching him.  
  
It unnerved him to have been watched without his knowing, but the sudden tension dissipated when Heero smirked and turned away. Trowa rolled his eyes exasperatedly and smiled nonetheless. Heero was a strange young man because he seemed to enjoy observing people, even when he knew his silent scrutiny often made others wary or uncomfortable of him.  
  
But Trowa wasn't really bothered. Heero was just being Heero.  
  
The cobalt-eyed pilot deposited his load in one of the two rooms on the fourth floor. He really didn't care which room he chose, because they were all the same. Doctor J had trained him to disregard the condition of any living quarters as long as they provided the basic essentials, which was a bed and a roof.  
  
But it seemed like Heero was forgetting his training because he was pleased, however, to discover that unlike Trowa and Quatre's rooms, his had a private bathroom attached to it.  
  
After unpacking the suitcases, which were filled with a bunch of hi-tech Preventers issued material, Heero flopped down on his satin bed and shut his eyes.  
  
It had been a long drive to their destination, and Heero was tired, though he'd never admit it. He glanced at the antique clock on the wall. Five- forty pm. Now was the perfect time to catch up on some much-needed rest. He hadn't gotten any on the trip at all, since he had been the one driving.  
  
Ten minutes passed and Heero was on the brink of sleep when...*thump thump thump.* Frowning, Heero opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling where the sound was coming from.  
  
*Thump, thump, creak, thump, thump.*  
  
Heero rolled off his bed and scowled. There could only be one reason for that noise. He hadn't seen Duo yet on his trip up the stairs, so that meant that the braided baka was most likely on the fifth floor.  
  
With a disgruntled yawn, Heero walked out of his room and up the last flight of stairs.  
  
The fifth floor only had one room. There were actually two doors, but Heero knew without having to look that one of those doors lead to the attic. The other door lead to Duo's new room.  
  
Heero turned the doorknob on Duo's heavy door and pushed it open. His deep cobalt blue eyes widened in surprise as he surveyed the room. Duo had obviously chosen the best of the lot. His room was, to put it simply, huge. Bigger then two of Heero's room put together. It was also decorated the most lavishly.  
  
There was a huge marble fireplace covering one entire section of the wall, a large crimson sofa was placed in front of it, and there were also three chairs of the same shade situated strategetically around the room for design purposes only. Huge paintings covered the elegantly carved walls, and antique decorations of all kinds rested on the elegant vanity on the far side of the room.  
  
The wooden floor was covered with an intricately woven rug that nearly spanned the entire length of the room, and directly on top of this rug in the middle of the room, was a huge black bed.  
  
If Heero thought it was strange that this place would actually have a bed in Duo's favorite color, he didn't voice his thoughts aloud. Instead, his gaze was slowly riveted to the former Shinigami himself, who was bouncing merrily up and down in the middle of his silken black sheets.  
  
Duo's eyes were closed and he was wearing a big pair of Sony headphones over his ears. A small smile curved his soft lips upwards, and with every bounce, his long braid flew up and down like a whip. Heero had no doubt that the volume of Duo's music was turned up insanely loud. A lesser man would've gone deaf if they ever tried doing the same.  
  
Marching up to the big black bed, Heero leaned over, grabbed the bouncing long thick braid, and pulled downward. Hard. With a startled yelp, Duo's violet eyes snapped open as he lost his balance and fell on his rump. He blinked stupidly at Heero as the headphones were ripped from his ears.  
  
Heero couldn't help but smile at the look on Duo's face. The baka just looked too cute sometimes, even when he wasn't trying to.  
  
Once the initial shock wore over, Duo scowled at his partner and snatched his braid back protectively. "That hurt, Heero. What didja do that for?"  
  
"To get your attention, baka."  
  
Duo sighed grumpily. "Alright, you've got it, so whaddya want?"  
  
Heero let his gaze travel around the room some more. "Your room is very nice." He said offhandedly. Duo immediately grinned. "Yup! The moment I saw this room, I knew it was meant for me. Just look at this bed!" He gestured to the thing he was sitting on.  
  
"Can you believe it? It's pure silk and in my favorite shade too! There are matching curtains for it and everything! But I still wish there was a canopy. Oh, and have you checked out my bathroom or the balcony yet? It's great! C'mon I'll show you."  
  
Before Heero could protest, his enthusiastic, though some-what diminutive partner had latched onto his arm and was tugging him towards the left of his room.  
  
Duo flicked on the bathroom lights and grinned. "It's huge, isn't it?" He exclaimed happily. Heero raised an eyebrow at the sight of Duo's bathroom. It was pretty big, and done all in black marble. Something only Duo would appreciate.  
  
"Yes it is." He replied dryly, not at all interested, though there did seem to be a rather nice looking Jacuzzi near the sink. Duo frowned at his partner's obviously unenthusiastic response. "I'll show you the balcony then."  
  
The balcony was situated directly in front of Duo's beloved bed. It was accessible through two glass doors that didn't have a lock, but Duo didn't seem to be worried about intruders. He was on the fifth floor after all, and in the middle of the woods to boot. It was highly unlikely that he would get an unwelcome visitor of any kind.  
  
They stepped onto the balcony, which wasn't very impressive, but the view made up for that. The air outside was fresh and chilly. The red sun was just going down, and the sky was transformed into a myriad of pinks, reds, and purples that was breathtaking to look it.  
  
Heero closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of pines, flowers, and rain deeply into his lungs. It felt strangely peaceful out here. "A storm is coming soon." He predicted softly. "I can smell the rain in the air. It will probably hit tonight." Duo rolled his eyes at Heero's expertise and shivered. "It's cold. Let's go back inside." He suggested.  
  
The two headed back in and Duo turned to shut the balcony doors. Heero regarded him for a moment before looking away. "So I expect that you've already explored all the rooms?" He asked. Duo nodded enthusiastically. "Sure did! ...Except for the ground floor because I was too busy looking for a room. Oh, and the attic. I didn't go to the attic because the door is locked."  
  
Heero nodded absently and looked at his watch. "Duo, it's nearly six- thirty right now. Our college orientation starts at exactly seven-fifteen tonight. The bus will pick us up on the main road at seven. I'm going to get ready now, and I suggest you do the same." He turned to leave when Duo poked him in the back.  
  
"Oi, wait a second. You still haven't told me what you wanted when you pulled my braid!"  
  
Heero turned around and glared. "Do not jump on your bed. My bed is beneath yours, and your noises disturb me."  
  
Duo sniffed. "Fine, I won't jump anymore, but you do know that you didn't have to pull my braid to get my attention. It hurt! How come you're always pulling my braid anyway? There are other ways of getting my attention, you know..."  
  
Heero smirked and looked Duo directly in the eye. "I like your braid, therefore I pull it."  
  
He left his words hanging in the air as he quickly walked out of the room, leaving a stunned Duo to stare mutely after him.  
  
~*~$~*~  
  
Heero turned out to be right about the weather. At six-forty-five pm, Duo dashed down five flights of stairs wearing a loose T-shirt and baggy pants. The others were already waiting for him at the front door. "Are we all ready to go?" Wufei asked, even as he turned the doorknob and pushed open the heavy door. Immediately a gust of icy, bone-chilling wind blew into the hall, freezing everyone inside.  
  
Wufei slammed the door shut. "Uh...I think...we should get our jackets." He announced to his friends before scurrying off to his room behind the tapestry. The remaining four shivering pilots nodded and ran up the stairs.  
  
The time was six-fifty when Duo dashed down the stairs for the second time that night. He was the last one because his room was higher up and therefore he had more steps to climb. Everyone was wearing a thick jacket of some sort to protect themselves against the cold. "Ready?" Wufei asked again as he turned to open the door.  
  
The five pilots nodded and the door swung open for the second time that night...and then slammed back shut again without a single person stepping foot outside.  
  
"I can't believe the weather here!" Wufei ranted. "It wasn't raining like that five minutes ago!" He ran off to get his umbrella, and the other four had no choice but to run up the stairs again and get their own.  
  
So the time was six-fifty-five when Duo finally scrambled down the stairs for the third time that night. "I can't find my umbrella." He said unhappily. Wufei scowled. "I distinctly remember packing it for you, Duo. It's behind the front zipper." Duo nodded and prepared to go up again when Heero grabbed his arm.  
  
"No. There isn't enough time for you to get your umbrella. We can share mine instead." Duo breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks man, I was kinda getting tired from running up and down the stairs so many times."  
  
"Alright. We're ready now." Wufei muttered before pushing open the front door.  
  
The rain was coming down much harder then before, and the sharp, icy wind pierced right through Duo's wool jacket. With teeth chattering, Duo pressed himself into Heero's side as they walked quickly through the woods. Thunderclouds had covered the moon so there wasn't any light for them to see where they were going, even with their excellent night vision.  
  
"Shit, we should've brought a flashlight." Duo groaned as he stumbled over a rock, catching himself just in time before he fell face-first into the sticky mud. "And it's so fuckin' cold!" He complained. Heero stiffened but didn't say anything when his partner suddenly wriggled his way into Heero's large fur-lined jacket in order to steal some warmth.  
  
Two slender arms wrapped tightly around his middle, and the cobalt-eyed young man couldn't help but feel his cheeks go slightly red. Duo was so close to him he could practically feel the braided baka's heartbeat near his own.  
  
Swallowing hard, Heero looked at his watch to distract himself, and frowned. "It's two minutes until seven!" He shouted to the others. "We have to run or we'll miss the bus!"  
  
They ran.  
  
And arrived on the main road just in time to see the bus drive away.  
  
"Shit!" Wufei cursed. "It's only six-fifty-nine! That bus is leaving early, and now we will be late for sure! This is injustice!" Duo sighed and slumped against Heero's side. "I guess we'll have to run to the orientation then, right? Do any of you know how long it'll take?"  
  
Quatre smiled wryly from where he stood bundled next to Trowa. "The bus takes about fifteen minutes, and if we run at our top speed, I would say it'd take about...half an hour maybe." There were collective groans of dismay. They were going to be late for sure.  
  
"Wait." Heero said. "I know how we can make it in fifteen minutes." Duo looked up at him incredulously. "And how do you think we'll be able to do that?" He asked dryly.  
  
Heero smirked. "By cutting through the woods of course."  
  
It took the pilots seventeen minutes and thirty seconds to reach their destination through the dense woods. Everyone had been afraid they'd get lost, but Heero Yuy, the human compass had been right about the directions. Now they were only two and a half minutes late, and covered in dirt, mud, and wet foliage.  
  
Duo groaned as he looked at himself. "Some first impression I'm gonna make at this school." He muttered unhappily as he brushed himself off.  
  
The five of them quietly entered the auditorium and found seats in the back row, completely disregarding the disgusted looks that many of the wealthy, high-class students threw them. Duo rolled his eyes as one girl in particular that had a startling resemblance to Relena-sama, pinched her nostrils and looked away.  
  
The orientation lasted for an hour, and at eight-fifteen, everyone was excused to go eat dinner in the cafeteria, which of course, looked more like a five star restaurant then anything else. There were even waiters for every table.  
  
The food was gourmet and extremely delicious. Duo ate two servings of wine- marinated steaks and artichokes before excusing himself to the restroom. It wasn't that he really had to go, but the fact that everyone in the cafeteria was watching him wolf down his food with varying degrees of distaste really got on his nerves.  
  
With a sigh, Duo pushed open the mahogany door to the bathroom and stepped inside. The room was thankfully empty, and Duo found himself humming a happy little tune as he washed his hands, and then began the meticulous process of cleaning out bits of leaves, twigs, and mud that had stuck to his clothes during their trip through the forest.  
  
It was a long job, but Duo eventually finished up and turned to leave...but not before winking cheekily at his own reflection in the large bathroom mirror. "Lookin' good." He assured himself confidently before stepping outside to rejoin his friends.  
  
He didn't walk more then three steps before a large hand clamped down on his shoulder and shoved him against the wall.  
  
"Ouch..." Duo hissed as his head connected with the hard surface behind him. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision of shiny stars, and scowled when he found himself suddenly surrounded by three outrageously giant men that had various degrees of frightening leers on their faces.  
  
The one standing directly in front of him had the most frightening leer of all.  
  
Mentally, Duo rolled his eyes. Something like this seemed to happen every single time he went under cover at a college or high school. He was almost used to it, which was a scary thing in itself because no one should have to get used to being sexually harassed. Normally Duo would attempt to fight off his attackers, but something told him that these men with the grotesquely huge muscles wouldn't be easy to beat. He held still.  
  
"You guys are gonna pay for those brain cells you just killed, right?" Duo joked lamely, even as the grip on his shoulder tightened almost painfully.  
  
The three giants looked at each other and grinned before turning back to face Duo. "Sure. We can pay you, prettyboy. How do you want it?"  
  
Duo forced a laugh. "How about letting me go? If you do, I'll consider all debt paid and we can become best friends or something."  
  
The guy standing to Duo's left shook his head. "No. You misunderstand, slut. We meant how do you want it? Like a nun or like an animal?" At the look of disgust on Duo's face, all three men burst out laughing. "Naw Chris," One of them said. "I'll bet he's one of those wild kinky ones. He'd probably wanna be tied to the bed and whipped."  
  
Violet eyes flashed angrily. "Hey look here buddies, we're standing in the middle of the hall here. Behind that door is a restaurant full of people that won't hesitate to call the police if you try something. How about giving up before you get your asses expelled from this school?"  
  
The guy named 'Chris' just threw back his head and laughed. "Us? Expelled? No way in hell that's ever gonna happen." He leaned over to look Duo right in the eye. He was so close that Duo could smell the cloves in his breath, and it made him sick. "You see," He whispered gleefully. "Mark here is the principal's son, and we're his best friends. No one can do anything about it even if they catch us in the act. If you don't cooperate, you'll be the one getting expelled, not us."  
  
Duo opened his mouth to protest, but didn't get to utter a single syllable before Chris closed the distance between them and mashed their lips together in a bruisingly harsh kiss. The taste of those lips were awful, and Duo felt his stomach churn even as he chomped down on Chris's lower lip hard enough to draw blood.  
  
"Why you little slut!" Chris roared furiously, wiping his bleeding lip with the back of his hand before slapping Duo hard across the cheek.  
  
Mark and their third friend burst out laughing. "Looks like he doesn't enjoy your attention very much, Chrissy. Why don't you give me a shot?" His 'shot' turned out to be a rough grope and another kiss, which lead to a vicious kick in the balls and another hard slap against Duo's reddened cheek.  
  
The violet eyed Preventer was seething with rage by now, and would've tried to punch every single one of their lights out if they hadn't suddenly decided to pin his limbs firmly against wall. As the third harasser drew near, Duo realized that they were probably gonna keep taking turns molesting him until they got what they wanted. And unfortunately in his current position, there was nothing he could do but stick it out or play dead.  
  
His version of playing dead was to basically pretend he was unconscious and hope his attackers would leave him alone. Duo discovered that this ploy usually worked because it seemed that no one wanted to sexually harass an unconscious body nowadays.  
  
Within a minute, Duo had his head hanging limply against his chest, his eyes shut and face relaxed. He let his body sag downward so that if it weren't for the thugs pinning him to the wall, he would've crumpled facedown onto the carpet.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing...aw shit, don't tell me he just passed out! I haven't even gotten my turn yet!" The third thug complained loudly. Chris and Mark chuckled dryly and released their hold on Duo's body, letting the petite young man slump to the ground in a convincing manner. "That's ok Riley. There's always next time. In the meantime, I think I'm gonna cut me a long braided souvenir."  
  
Duo silently cursed. He was faced with two options right now. One; he could lose the braid and avoid getting molested, or Two; he could take his attackers by surprise and possibly escape. Thankfully he didn't have to decide because just then, the door connecting the restaurant and the bathroom hall swung open.  
  
There was a brief moment of silence, and then..."What are you doing?" Heero hissed softly as he took in the scene before him. The group had been worried when Duo hadn't returned, so Heero had taken it upon himself to investigate and to possibly drag the braided idiot back by the hair if Duo was found doing something stupid, like preening himself in front of the mirror, which was very likely.  
  
Alas, the scene before him was not what he had been expecting, and Heero was furious. Duo lay slumped against the wall, his eyes were shut, his face was pale, and there were the beginnings of a huge nasty purple bruise covering one delicate cheekbone. Hovering over him were three giant men, and one of them was holding a pocketknife dangerously close to Duo's long braid.  
  
This was utterly and totally unacceptable.  
  
Without waiting for an answer, Heero leapt into action. Mark let out a startled yelp and dropped the knife when Heero slugged him hard across the face, felling him with one blow.  
  
"Hey! That's the principal's son you just hit!" Riley yelled. "You're gonna pay for that, kid!" He lunged for Heero's stomach, but was no match for the genetically enhanced and rigorously trained Preventer. Heero easily stepped to the side and executed a series of kicks that had Riley on his back in no time.  
  
Ignoring Chris, who was openly gaping at how easily his muscle-bound friends had been taken down, Heero swept Duo into his arms and cradled him gently against his chest. "Duo! Duo, are you alright?" He asked worriedly. One violet eye peeked open and Duo's lips curved up in a smile. "I'm fine, Hee-chan, just playin' dead. Thanks for savin' me, buddy."  
  
Heero breathed a small sigh of relief and began to walk back, carrying his precious burden in his arms. He stopped at the door and turned around. Cobalt eyes narrowed and flashed dangerously. "If I ever see any of you harming Duo ever again, I will kill you." He growled, watching in satisfaction as the three recovering brutes paled before his threat. Giving one final glare, Heero pushed open the door and walked out.  
  
Duo buried his face into the crook of Heero's neck, feeling his cheeks flush hotly with anger and embarrassment. He was angry for not being strong enough to get away by himself, and embarrassed because Heero had seen him in his vulnerability, and had been forced to come save him.  
  
"Uh...you can let me down now, Heero." Duo said softly when they were a good distance away from the bathroom hall.  
  
Heero nodded reluctantly and gently set Duo on his feet. They were standing just inside the entrance to the restaurant, and outside the rain fell in sheets against the drenched concrete. They were alone. Duo looked up to see Heero staring at his bruised cheek with a frown on his face. He grimaced and tentatively reached up to touch it himself, wincing slightly from the pain.  
  
"It's not...too noticeable, is it?" He asked softly.  
  
Heero nodded as his frown deepened, and Duo scowled. "Those damn bastards..." He muttered resignedly and sighed. "Oh well...I guess this is the price to pay for being so attractive." He joked half-heartedly. Heero raised an eyebrow and Duo had the grace to flush.  
  
Their eyes locked.  
  
"Uh...I was just joking, you know that...right?" Duo stammered. Heero said nothing but slowly raised an arm to touch Duo's wounded cheek. His hard cobalt eyes softened and he stroked the bruise with the pad of his thumb. "Duo..." He breathed almost wistfully. The violet-eyed young man swallowed hard and forced himself not to lean into Heero's caress. "...Yeah?" He asked in a hoarse voice.  
  
Heero suddenly dropped his hand and stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket. He fumbled around for a bit and then withdrew a napkin-wrapped something that smelled faintly of...chocolate?  
  
"Here." Heero muttered, his cheeks tinging a suspicious pink. "Take it." He ordered. Blinking in mild surprise, Duo took the offered gift and unwrapped it, to reveal..."A brownie?" He asked incredulously. Heero nodded and looked away. " You missed desert, so I thought you might like it..." He murmured.  
  
Duo's face melted into a big grin, and he launched himself into Heero's arms for a big bear hug. "Aww, you're so nice, Hee-chan! I can't believe you actually saved me some desert!" He exclaimed happily. "That's so thoughtful of you! Did you know that you're my bestest best buddy in the whole wide world?!"  
  
Heero couldn't stop the smile from curving his lips upward, even though this wasn't the first time he had heard those words coming from Duo's mouth.  
  
"Aa..."  
  
~*~$~*~  
  
It was nearly nine-forty by the time the Preventers returned to their mansion, only to discover three well-dressed girls standing in front of their door, shivering in thin silk coats as they clung tightly to their baggage. These girls explained that they had been reassigned to Mansion number thirteen when mice were discovered in their own mansion.  
  
Duo was skeptical. He had seen those same three girls throwing furtive, appreciative glances at his fellow co-workers and himself all day, and had immediately guessed that the entire mice scenario was a lie. Those girls just wanted to get closer to them, even though they probably didn't know that their company would not be appreciated.  
  
Their stay would interfere with Preventers operations, but there was nothing that could be done if the pilots wanted to maintain their covers.  
  
The first girl was called Sarah Hedwig. She was a tall brunette that seemed to have taken a strong liking to Trowa. She was shy, but apparently wasn't shy enough because the moment they stepped into the hall, she turned to Trowa with a bright gleam in her light blue eyes. "What floor is your room on?" She had asked.  
  
Trowa had rolled his emerald eye in dissatisfaction, but had told her anyway. He had to be polite...and consequently, Sarah had unpacked her things on the third floor.  
  
Jenni DeViola was Sarah's best friend. She had dark green eyes and long red hair pulled back in a high ponytail. She decided to imitate her friend because the same question Trowa received was directed to Duo as well. Unfortunately for her, Duo explained that his was the only room on the fifth floor, and so Jenni was forced to choose the extra room on Quatre's floor.  
  
Rereena Darvian was the third girl, and Duo frowned when he realized that this was the same girl who had pinched her nose at him during the orientation. This girl could've been Relena's twin sister if she ever had one, except for the fact that Relena-sama's eyes were blue, and Rereena's were gray. The two looked so much alike that at first, the pilots had almost mistaken her for the Queen of the World. Even their names sounded almost the same, and like Relena, Rereena seemed to have an infatuation with Heero Yuy.  
  
Relena's look-a-like had settled herself into the last remaining room in the house, which was on the fourth floor. The moment she finished, she had tried to talk to Heero, but Heero had muttered an unhappy 'Hn,' and had locked himself inside his chamber with a laptop. Rereena hadn't been too happy with her obvious rejection and had run down one floor to bawl her eyes out in Sarah's room.  
  
The time was ten o'clock. Jenni was in her room already sleeping, Trowa and Wufei were sipping mugs of coffee in the kitchen, and Duo had given Quatre a tour of his room before forcing the innocent blonde into a game of Capitalism in the middle of his big black bed.  
  
Quatre didn't know how to play at first, but after one or two games, he had quickly warmed up. The two played for half an hour, their laughter echoing off the walls of Duo's huge room. Duo had opened up a bag of Lays Salt and Vinegar potato chips, and empty cans of cola were strewn around the bed in disarray. Most of them belonged to Quatre. Duo hadn't realized how much Quatre loved to drink coke. Glancing at his dwindling supply of soda, he mentally decided to buy some more the next time they went into town.  
  
They were in the middle of the fifth game when someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Hold on a minute!" Duo yelled, eyes never leaving his cards as he picked out two King's and flung them onto the bed.  
  
*Knock, knock, knock. *  
  
Duo plucked another chip from the bag next to him. He popped the sliver into his mouth and crunched. "I said hold on a minute!" He yelled, frowning when Quatre tossed two Aces triumphantly on top of his cards. He looked at his own deck and sighed. "Pass."  
  
*Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock!*  
  
Duo scowled. "What part of holding on do you not understand!" He asked loudly. The person pounding on his door sure was annoying, and for that reason alone, Duo wasn't going to open the door until the game was over. Quatre raised an eyebrow as he lay down a full house. "I win." He announced cheerfully before snatching another can of coke and taking a big gulp.  
  
*KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!*  
  
Duo blinked and looked at Quatre. "Okay...I don't know what that was all about, but I'm gonna open the door and give that person a lecture on being patient." Quatre smiled, but looked slightly uneasy as he glanced at the door. He hadn't noticed before, but something didn't feel quite right.  
  
Duo hopped off the bed and padded across the carpet to the door. With a sigh, he twisted the metal doorknob and pulled.  
  
"Hey! What's the big id-" The words died in his throat as he stared into the dimly lit, empty hall.  
  
No one was there.  
  
Furrowing his brow in confusion, Duo shut the door and walked back to the bed. "It was probably Wufei or Trowa." He reasoned after a brief moment of silence. "They got tired of waiting and went back downstairs, I guess. Hey Quat, wanna go ask them what it was all about?"  
  
Quatre nodded warily. "Sure thing, Duo. It's late anyway...I'm kind of tired, and I want a cup of hot milk before I go to bed."  
  
The pair quickly cleaned up their trash, and began their trek downstairs. For reasons unknown, Quatre found himself frowning and pressing a hand to his chest. His Uchuu no Kokoro was feeling a bit strange. If Duo found his friend's actions a little strange, he didn't comment but led the way down the stairs. There weren't any lights on the staircases, so progress was slightly slower.  
  
The mansion was eerily silent, except for the sound of their steady footsteps against the hard wood. When they reached the fourth floor, Duo smiled faintly when he saw the light on in Heero's room. The muffled sound of typing reached his ears, and he shook his head wryly. Heero was almost always on his laptop, even when Duo had told him it was bad for his eyes. Oh well. It'd be Heero's own fault if he needed glasses someday.  
  
The third floor was cold. Duo and Quatre both shivered as they glanced around. Someone probably accidentally left their window open or something. Soft feminine laughter drifted to their ears, coming from the direction of one darkened hallway.  
  
Quatre snorted in disgust and turned away. He was obviously upset at the fact that there was a girl infatuated with Trowa, and living so close to him. Duo grinned in the dark. He knew that the cheerful Arabian had feelings for the circus-boy, and vice-versa. What made it so funny though, was that they were too shy to approach each other because they were both afraid of rejection.  
  
The second floor was noticeably warmer then the third. Behind one door, the sound of Jenni snoring could be heard faintly. Duo rolled his eyes but smiled. Unlike his friends, he didn't really mind having an admirer. Besides, Jenni was kinda pretty in her own way.  
  
They found Trowa and Wufei sitting in silence in the kitchen. Trowa was reading the newspaper, and Wufei was reading an old book filled with Chinese characters. Quatre immediately went off to get his cup of milk, and Duo plopped himself into a chair next to Trowa.  
  
"So which one of you kept knocking on my door?" He asked as he played with the end of his braid.  
  
Trowa raised an eyebrow as he looked over at his small friend. "What do you mean?" Duo sighed. "You know what I mean....the knocking. Someone was knocking on my door really obnoxiously upstairs. Was it you or Wu- man?"  
  
Trowa looked confused, so Duo shook his head and turned to Wufei. "It was you then, right?" Wufei looked equally confused. "I don't know what you're talking about, Maxwell. None of us have gone up to your room at all. We've been down here the entire time." Quatre chose that moment to sit down beside him, the hot glass of milk in hand.  
  
"...It was probably someone else then." Wufei said. "Maybe it was Heero...or one of those girls." Duo frowned. "I know it's not Heero...because knocking isn't his style. It was probably one of the girl's then." He finally concluded. "Quatre and I heard them laughing on the third floor when we were coming down."  
  
Wufei and Trowa exchanged looks. "If you're talking about Rereena and Sarah, they left about twenty minutes ago to get the rest of their luggage." Trowa told them. "And they haven't come back yet."  
  
Both Duo and Quatre looked suddenly uncomfortable. Duo bit his lip. "But I swear to god we heard them laughing..." Quatre nodded vehemently. "Yes, we did."  
  
The four of them sat in silence as they pondered the strange events. At length, Duo let out a loud yawn and stood up grumpily. "Well, I don't care anymore. Someone knocked on my door, and someone was laughing. Big deal. I'm going to bed now. It's...nearly eleven, and I'm tired."  
  
The others nodded. "Goodnight then, Duo." Quatre whispered softly. Duo yawned again and smiled. "Good night to you too, Quat." The three remaining Preventers watched silently as their braided friend left the room.  
  
~*~$~*~  
  
*Thump, creak, thump, thump, thump, creak, thump...*  
  
Heero rolled over in frustration and buried his head underneath the covers. No use. The continuous creaking and thumping noises coming from the ceiling never seemed to stop, and it annoyed him to no end. *Duo* Heero growled mentally. *I am going to_kill_you for this, you baka!* He remembered telling Duo that he wasn't allowed to jump on his bed, and now listen to him! His idiot of a partner had been jumping up and down for well over an hour!  
  
Groaning, Heero sat up and rubbed his eyes. Gods he was tired...he checked his watch and sighed. It was nearly two-thirty in the morning. What the hell was Duo doing?!  
  
Heero's cobalt eyes flashed angrily. Right now, he was going to march upstairs, grab the baka, and slowly strangle the life out of him until he couldn't even flop around. Of course...this was all wishful thinking. Heero knew that he wouldn't dare hurt Duo like that. Hell, he had promised never to physically harm Duo ever. It was no secret to himself that he had a soft spot for his braided partner.  
  
Duo was so small, so fragile looking that Heero was often filled with a sense of fierce protectiveness whenever he was around the boy. He hated seeing Duo get hurt, especially in their line of work. Only little more then two months ago, Duo had been shot in the chest by a stray bullet during a mission. He had almost died...and Heero had been devastated with fear that his partner wouldn't make it. Thankfully, Duo did pull through in the end, but Heero had never forgotten that taste of fear.  
  
So he had promised himself that no matter what, he would keep Duo from harm, even if it meant risking his own life.  
  
But...at times like these, it was really hard trying to remember his promise since the baka was being so annoying.  
  
*Thud, bump, thump, thump, thump, creak, thud, thump...*  
  
Heaving a great sigh, Heero was about to swing himself out of bed when the sounds suddenly stopped.  
  
Heero felt himself instantly relax. "Finally..." He breathed in relief. Now he could get the sleep that he longed for so much. Slowly, cobalt eyes drifted closed...  
  
*knock, knock, knock.*  
  
Heero jerked awake and glared angrily at his door. Now what the hell was it?!  
  
"Duo, is that you?!" Heero called out angrily. "If it is, I want you to go back to sleep. No more jumping on the bed, is that understood?"  
  
No answer.  
  
*knock, knock, knock, knock.*  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes, but didn't get up to unlock the door. It was late, he was tired. This was not the time to be having any visitors. Lying back down in bed, Heero covered his head with a pillow, and shut his eyes.  
  
~Upstairs...  
  
Duo jerked awake with a gasp. He had been having another nightmare about the war. Even though two years had passed since then, he still had nightmares, though not as regularly as before. The nightmares freaked him out because they were often extremely vivid, and he always found that he couldn't sleep after waking from one of them. Right now was one of those times.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Duo attempted to slow the pounding of his heart. He succeeded after a few minutes, and then simply lay there on his bed, staring at the ceiling silently. Hm...strange...there seemed to be a dark round spot on the part of the ceiling right above his head. It was probably dirt or something.  
  
Duo checked his watch. It was two-twenty-five in the morning. He sighed, blinked, and froze. Was it just him, or did he see the silhouette of someone standing by his doorway when he blinked? Never mind that it was in his peripheral vision...that silhouette had been unmistakable.  
  
Duo had been trained to catch notice of even the smallest of details. He knew he was almost never wrong when it came to things like that. With eyes wide, Duo quickly scanned his room searchingly.  
  
There were nothing but shadows.  
  
Curling into a small ball, Duo sighed and mentally berated himself. He was being stupid. His door was locked, and he would've heard it if someone had opened his balcony doors. But...still...Duo couldn't shake the uncomfortable ness away. Mumbling to himself, he swung his legs off the side of the bed and sat up. He'd go ask Heero about it...Heero always seemed to know the answers to everything.  
  
~Downstairs  
  
Heero was going to kill whoever it was on the other side of his door.  
  
The knocking hadn't stopped. It had, in fact, gotten louder. Heero had asked several times who it was, but he had never gotten an answer, only the loud knocks that drove him insane. This had been going on for nearly five minutes. Heero checked his watch. It was almost three in the morning.  
  
*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!*  
  
Ok. This was it. Heero was going to open the door and shoot whoever it was on the other side of it. He had had enough.  
  
With a scowl pasted firmly to his handsome features, Heero stomped towards his door and flung it open...to reveal a frazzled looking Duo Maxwell dressed in an overly large black T-shirt, and long pajamas pants that were printed with little bouncing sheep.  
  
"Duo, I'm going to kill you!" Heero hissed loudly as he dragged his partner into his room.  
  
Large violet eyes stared up at him in confusion. "...Did I do something wrong already?" He asked. Heero rolled his eyes. "Duo, you know what you did. You were jumping on your bed upstairs when I explicitly told you not to. I couldn't sleep because of you!"  
  
Duo scowled. "For your information, I was *not* jumping on the bed at all!. I was sleeping in my room when I woke up from a nightmare...and thought I saw someone standing by my door!"  
  
Heero watched him with narrowed cobalt-eyes. "Someone standing by your door?" He repeated slowly. Duo nodded and looked uncomfortable. "Yeah...I wanted to know if you knew anything about that..."  
  
Heero shook his head. "Are you sure, Duo? Because if you are, this is a major security breach that must be fixed." Duo yawned. "Actually...I'm not too sure that there was really anyone there, but why don't you check my room tomorrow?"  
  
Heero nodded. "Alright. Go to bed now. It's late." He watched silently as Duo shrugged and turned to leave.  
  
"Wait." Duo stopped and turned around. "If it wasn't you thumping on my ceiling, then I am to believe you weren't knocking on my door for five minutes either, right?" Heero didn't doubt Duo's words. If his companion said that he didn't do something, then it was true. Duo Maxwell never lied.  
  
At the look of confusion in Duo's violet eyes, Heero shook his head. "Never mind, Duo. Just go back to sleep." When he was alone, Heero lay down on his bed and stared silently at his ceiling. Something strange was going on, and he was going to get to the bottom of it no matter what.  
  
Duo walked up the stairs and yawned as he opened the door to his room. Gods...it was freezing inside. Why the hell was it so cold? With a scowl, Duo noticed that his balcony doors were wide open. Outside, it was still raining and the wind was blowing right into his room.  
  
Duo quickly closed the balcony doors before diving back into bed. The wind probably blew the doors open, he mused. He reminded himself to ask Heero for a lock tomorrow.  
  
Snuggling under his covers, Duo was asleep in less then a minute.  
  
  
  
***Please Review!*** I love to hear what people think! 


	2. Part Two

Notes: *Whew* I'm sorry it took so long to get this out...but I hope the length of this chapter makes up for it. It has been a *very* long week for me, but the good news is that my SAT testing is finally over. Yay! Now I can concentrate more on stories etc. Well now...thanks to *everyone* who reviewed. I am seriously flattered that many of you like this story, especially since it is only an experiment of sorts.  
  
I'm very apprehensive about posting this chapter, and any other chapter in the future because I'm afraid of disappointing all you good people who reviewed. What if it doesn't turn out to be as good as chapter one?! Oh well. I suppose this is all part of my learning process...and I *am* trying to do my best. So if it's not good enough...sorry.^_^;  
  
  
  
~This story is strictly 1x2 and 3x4. Gundam Wing does Not belong to me.  
  
***Part Two***  
  
  
  
  
  
Duo awoke to the sound of heavy rain pattering against the balcony outside. With a muffled groan, he snuggled deeply into his nest of silken blankets in an attempt to catch a few more moments of rest, before he would have to get up.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Duo was shivering as he toweled himself off and began pulling on some clothes. Maybe such a big bathroom wasn't that much of a good thing after all, he mused. The hot steam from the shower wasn't enough to heat the entire room, and it was very cold. With chattering teeth, he tugged a large, thick sweater over his long-sleeved shirt and began to dry his hair.  
  
He glanced at the clock on his wall. It was nine in the morning, an hour before first period started.  
  
At nine-thirty, he finally finished with his hair and was in the process of making his bed. This wasn't something he would normally do, but Duo didn't want his beloved silk sheets to get wrinkled. As he worked, he happened to glance up at the ceiling, immediately spotting the small round stain he had noticed the night before.  
  
The stain was a reddish brown color that resembled the color of dirty pipes. It contrasted sharply with the wooden ceiling. Sighing, Duo frowned as he smoothed the last wrinkle from the sheets. It was most likely a rust stain caused by the attic roof leaking or something. He just hoped it wouldn't start to drip.  
  
Yawning loudly, Duo stretched his arms and was about to begin his daily morning aerobics when a long, shrill scream shattered the tranquil atmosphere.  
  
Duo immediately dashed down the stairs to investigate.  
  
When he arrived on the fourth floor, he saw Heero, who was clad only in a pair of cotton pajamas pants, bent over in front of Rereena's door. Duo stared at Heero in confusion. The chocolate-haired young man was attempting to pick the lock with a small bit of wire.  
  
Rereena chose that moment to release another muffled, hysterical shriek from inside her room.  
  
Duo cringed at the sound and approached the door. "Heero, what's going on?" Heero wasn't looking very happy. "I don't know. She won't unlock the door, so I'm trying to unlock it myself and see what the problem is."  
  
Duo bit his lip and looked at Heero curiously. His partner didn't look worried at all. "Uh...aren't you afraid that she might be screaming 'cause someone's about to kill her or something? You don't look very concerned..."  
  
Heero snorted dryly. "I installed a security camera in her room while she was gone yesterday night. The monitor is in my room. Go see it."  
  
Duo nodded and did what Heero said. The flat, square device was sitting on a low table next to Heero's bed, and through it Duo saw what was going on inside Rereena's chamber. The girl was dressed in a slinky white gown, and was standing on top of her bed with a shocked, frightened look etched on her face. She was staring at something on the floor that the camera couldn't pick up from its angle.  
  
Frowning, Duo walked back into the hall and saw Trowa and Sarah standing next to Heero, who was still picking at the lock unsuccessfully. Sarah was looking panicked. "What's going on!" She demanded as Duo joined them. "What's happening to her in there!" Duo shrugged. "As far as I know, nothing. She's standing on the bed and screaming her head off. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong..."  
  
Duo turned to Heero and sighed. "Hey man, why don't you give me a try at the lock? You know I'm better at that kind of stuff then you are."  
  
Wordlessly, Heero nodded and stepped back, handing Duo the pick that he had been using. Duo frowned at the given pick and deftly slipped it into one end of his braid. At the same time, he removed another that was thinner and longer. "This one'll work better." He explained as he knelt down and began working on the lock. "But I don't see why Rereena just won't open the door herself."  
  
Within half a minute, there was a small click, and Duo smiled. "Okay, all done." He stood up and swung the door open.  
  
The first thing they noticed was that Rereena's screams became infinitely louder, causing everyone to wince and cover their ears.. The second thing they noticed was that there was a strange metallic stench in the air. It was not a pleasant smell, and the three pilots immediately guessed what it was.  
  
Upon seeing Heero, Rereena let out one final eardrum-bursting scream and launched herself towards him. "You have to help me!" She sobbed. "Someone...someone's trying to scare me...they...I..." She trailed off and simply buried her head into Heero's naked shoulder, drenching it with her tears.  
  
Inching his way into the room, Duo bit his lip as he stared at Rereena's rumpled bed. The reason she screamed was lying on the other side of it, and Duo wasn't really sure he wanted to know what it was...since the scent of blood still drifted strongly in the air.  
  
But in the end, Duo's curiosity won out. He glanced over to Heero, who had his arms full of weeping girl, and then to Sarah, who was looking worried in the doorway. Trowa was standing next to him with a dispassionate on his face. Heaving a big sigh, Duo grabbed Trowa's arm and pulled him along as he walked around the bed.  
  
What they found wasn't a pretty sight at all.  
  
Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Duo stared at the small brown lump of fur that lay very still in the middle of the pristine white carpet. It was drenched in congealing red fluid, which had also seeped into the carpet it lay on. Duo looked confused. "What is that thing?" He asked out loud. Trowa knelt down beside the mess and gently rolled it over.  
  
It was a dog. A Pomeranian to be exact.  
  
It was obviously dead. Twin beady black eyes bulged from their sockets, and a long, slimy thin tongue hung out of its muzzle, which was covered in frothy white saliva. The poor dog had been sliced open and stabbed multiple times. Its intestines were hanging out of its body, looking eerily similar to a long parasitic worm.  
  
"That's sick." Duo choked out, feeling instantly sorry for the furry little animal that had been killed in such a grisly manner. Trowa stood up and nodded, his face full of contemplation. "I think it is best that we have a meeting." He murmured softly.  
  
By this time, everyone had come up to see what the commotion was about. Duo and Trowa exited the room just as Quatre and Wufei arrived with the other two girls behind them. The Chinese fighter was looked irritated. "What's the problem?" He demanded, onyx eyes flashing dangerously. "What happened to the damn onna that's causing such a disruption?!"  
  
It was painfully obvious that Wufei hadn't had his morning cup of tea yet, and so his temper was at its wildest at the moment. Duo shrugged, and leaned against the wall. "Someone killed Miss Darvian's dog." He explained. "Go see for yourself."  
  
Wufei shot a look at Rereena, who was still clinging to Heero like he was her lifeline. "Stupid onna. Dog's aren't allowed in the dorms." He muttered darkly before disappearing into the room.  
  
Trowa gave Quatre a look. "You don't wish to analyze the crime?" He asked gently. Quatre shook his head shyly. "I'm allergic to dogs." He explained. Trowa gave him a little smile. "That's too bad." He commented quietly. Quatre nodded and his blush deepened. "Yes...yes it is." They stared into each other's eyes.  
  
Standing off to the side, Duo rolled his eyes and grinned as he looked at his two friends. Looking around, he noticed Sarah chattering with Jenni, and both of them were staring at Trowa and Quatre with unease in their eyes. Duo's smile turned into a frown. He kinda felt sorry for those girls...but...then again...not really.  
  
Just then, Wufei reappeared, looking pale and uncomfortable. "Maxwell, that is one of the creepiest things that I've seen yet." He muttered truthfully. "The message on the wall was...unsettling indeed." Duo blinked. "Message? What message?" He asked confusedly. Wufei looked surprised. "You didn't see the message?" He asked. Duo shook his head and started back for them room. "Show me."  
  
Ten seconds later, Duo was standing next to Wufei, Trowa, and Heero, who had managed to get rid of the Rereena girl for the time being. Various expressions were displayed on their faces as they read the words on the wooden wall...that Duo was almost sure had previously been blank.  
  
In a sloppy red scrawl, it read, "Dog's aren't allowed."  
  
Trowa looked slightly pale as he stared at the wall. "We *really* have to have a meeting. Preferably now."  
  
~*~*~*~$~*~*~*~  
  
Fifteen minutes later, five undercover Preventers and three college girls were gathered together in the kitchen. Duo, Quatre, and the girls were sitting down, while the others stood in various positions around the dining room table.  
  
Rereena was still sniffling and dabbing her gray eyes with a pink silk handkerchief, and Sarah was trying to comfort her. Wufei sighed and started pacing around. "Well where should we begin?" He asked tiredly. "I don't know what's going on, but..." He marched over to Rereena and glared at her pointedly. "How dare you sneak your dog into our dorm! Do you not follow the rules, onna?!"  
  
Rereena looked shocked. "Wh-what are you talking about?!" She exclaimed in a croaky voice. "My...my dog was just *murdered* and you're talking to me about following the rules?!"  
  
Wufei sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. Then suddenly he slammed his hands down on the table and loomed over Rereena, a fierce glare in his black eyes.  
  
"You stupid idiot! Do you not know that this mansion is haunted?! It is required that you follow the rules...that we *all* follow the rules!"  
  
The rest of the Preventers exchanged looks but didn't say anything.  
  
Rereena narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe it! You're just saying that to get us to leave! Well it won't work. We don't believe any of your mumbo jumbo. Right, girls?" She looked at her two friends for confirmation, and they nodded, if a bit uneasily.  
  
Wufei growled. "If I am lying, then how can you explain the sudden death of your dog!?" He shot back triumphantly.  
  
Rereena's eyes began to tear up again. "You...you monster!" She wailed. "I know exactly what you're doing! *You're* the one who killed poor Muppet...and-and now you're pinning her death on some make-believe story about this place being haunted! Well your plans won't work. I...I'm staying, and I'm going to make sure you get a call from my lawyer very soon!"  
  
With that said, Rereena stood up so suddenly that her chair almost tipped over. "You...you won't get away with this! Jenni, Sarah, let's go!"  
  
The moment the trio left the room, four pairs of eyes immediately fastened to Wufei, who now had an uncharacteristic grin spread over his face.  
  
"Was that really necessary?" Quatre asked, a bit upset. "I know we all dislike her, but she just lost her dog for gods sake..."  
  
Wufei rolled his eyes. "I understand how you feel, Quatre, but I did what was necessary. We need to talk about this alone. If making up a story about this place being haunted gets them to leave, then that is all that matters."  
  
Quatre looked unsure. "Still..."  
  
Trowa sighed and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "It's alright, Quatre." He said reassuringly. "Rereena didn't believe a word of it anyway, so technically we are not deceiving her."  
  
Quatre reluctantly nodded, his feelings placated by Trowa's words.  
  
Wufei shot Trowa an appreciative look, and sat down in one of the vacated seats. "Alright. For starters, I think that the murderer of Rereena's dog is someone in this house. Someone who has a hidden animosity towards her."  
  
Duo agreed. "Yeah, and since I know none of us would ever do somethin' like that, then it's probably either Jenni or Sarah...or even Rereena herself."  
  
Quatre frowned. "Why would Rereena kill her own dog? That doesn't make sense at all."  
  
Trowa looked contemplative. "I would say she'd do it for attention, but even that seems to be a bit extreme. Wait..." The tall brunette turned to look at Heero who was leaning nonchalantly against the wall.  
  
"Didn't you say you put a surveillance camera in her room? I bet that the perpetrator is caught on tape."  
  
Heero shook his head seriously, and a frown tugged at his lips. "No. I checked the recordings...and there's nothing there."  
  
Wufei raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He asked curiously.  
  
"I mean that the surveillance didn't catch anyone sneaking into or out of Rereena's room. Whoever it was must have come in through the window."  
  
Wufei scowled. "Well that's just great, isn't it! I admit, I do not like how our entire mission is turning out. We've barely been here for two days, and already something bad has happened."  
  
Duo smiled wryly. "Well Fei, be glad that only a dog was killed. Ya know, this whole thing seems kinda cheesy. It's like that urban legend movie about the girl who has her dog lick her fingers every night before she goes to bed...you guys know which one I'm talkin' about, right?"  
  
Quatre gave him a small smile. "Unfortunately I don't think the rest of us watch the same movies you do, Duo."  
  
The braided Preventer shrugged. "Oh. Well...I'm just sayin' that this whole thing is stupid, that's all. Even the message was stupid. Whoever killed her dog was probably just tryin' to scare her, that's all. I wouldn't be surprised if she's got some enemies at this school."  
  
Trowa nodded and brushed part of the bangs from his face. "I agree. This matter is trivial compared to our real mission. We should call the campus police and let them take care of it for us instead."  
  
Heero pushed himself off the wall and stood up straight. His deep blue eyes were guarded. "Fine." He muttered. "We let this settle for now. But if it happens again, then we will have to act. Trowa is right. We must first concentrate on the mission at hand."  
  
The small blonde looked uneasy at the decision, but moved to pick up the antique telephone that lay in the center of the dining table. "I'll call the campus police then."  
  
Duo shook his head. "Nah, no need to. I bet one of the girls already did that for us, because they're already here." His large violet eyes were trained on the windowpane, which just happened to be reflecting the flashing red and blue lights of the newly arrived police vehicles outside.  
  
A half hour later, the entire mansion was swarmed with people. Two dozen men dressed in blue uniforms with the initials CP sewn into the back, were investigating the entire five-story structure from nearly top to bottom.  
  
It was soon apparent that Black Cedars spared no expense for their protection squad. Many of the men held hi-tech portable machinery that allowed them to check for signs of break-in and other such things. The tiniest nooks and crannies were looked into thoroughly, and someone even went along the walls with a strange hammer-like thing to check for hidden passages or chambers.  
  
The dead dog in Rereena's room was carted away for evidence, and the scrawl on the wall was repeatedly photographed from different angles until the investigators were sure that they had all the evidence they needed.  
  
Everyone was taken in for questioning.  
  
Rereena and the girls all gave detailed accounts on what had occurred earlier that morning, and Rereena herself didn't neglect to include in her lengthy explanation, that she thought Wufei was the one behind the death of her beloved pet.  
  
This of course incensed the Chinese pilot, and his furious protesting voice was heard well beyond the small quarters of the questioning room.  
  
There were a lot of things to explain, like why there was a security camera installed in several of the chambers, including Rereena's, and why there were so many expensive gadgets tucked away in the back of Heero's closet.  
  
At this point, the five Preventers had no choice but to explain who they really were and what they were doing there. The campus police had been skeptical at first, until they saw their authentic Gundanium plated ID's.  
  
The investigation had stopped at the fourth floor, and all two dozen of them had quickly left after that, pronouncing the mansion safe. They were in awe at having actually had the privilege of seeing Preventers on duty, and all of them had been sworn into secrecy not to tell anyone else about the information they had learned that day in exchange for autographs.  
  
Duo let out a huge yawn and flopped down bonelessly on to the blue velvet sofa in the living room. "Man, I thought those guys would never leave!" He exclaimed in a tired voice.  
  
Quatre heaved a big sigh and slumped into the spot next to him. "It's one o' clock." He bemoaned. "We've managed to skip first period completely..."  
  
Duo shut his eyes and relaxed. "That's not such a bad thing." He commented. "I'm kinda tired actually. How 'bout just skipping classes today altogether?"  
  
"No." Heero's low voice answered unexpectedly from only a few feet away. "Remember why we're here, Duo. We need to gather information for the mission."  
  
Duo frowned and reluctantly nodded. "Fine then...I guess you're right. Uh...so when does the next class start?"  
  
"For you and Trowa, it starts in half an hour."  
  
Quatre perked up at the sound of Trowa's name. He immediately sat up and looked around. "Where is Trowa right now?" He asked when he didn't see the tall brunette anywhere around.  
  
Heero walked over to an armchair and sat down. "He is upstairs with Wufei helping Rereena with new carpeting."  
  
Duo cracked open an eye and wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Those girls are still gonna stay here even after the dog got killed?" He asked in surprise. "Geez...they must be more infatuated then I thought."  
  
Heero ran a hand through his messy, spiky hair and looked grim. "Their stay here will most likely be unavoidable. They have no knowledge of our true identity, and we also cannot force them to leave."  
  
The braided Preventer looked less then pleased as he slowly stood up. "Well...I guess I should go grab Tro-man and tell him we have to get ready for class now." He turned to leave, and then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and Heero...I need a lock for my balcony door." He added. "The wind blew them open last night, and it was really cold."  
  
Heero's cobalt eyes narrowed slightly at the information. The only time he had been to Duo's room, he had discreetly but thoroughly analyzed the balcony doors. It would take a very strong gust of wind to get them to blow open.  
  
Nevertheless, Heero nodded. "I will order one for you before tonight." He replied.  
  
Duo shot Heero a grateful look. "Thanks buddy, I appreciate it." He said, and headed up the stairs.  
  
True to word, Trowa and Wufei were in the process of installing a new section of white carpet into Rereena's room, replacing the unsightly bloodstained portion. The silly message on the wall had been washed off, and a picture of Rereena's dead dog now hung there instead.  
  
Jenni and Sarah sat on the bed watching the two work, and Rereena was standing next them with a frown on her face. She was glaring daggers at Wufei. Duo decided not to comment.  
  
"Hey Trowa!" Duo called from the doorway. "We've got class in about...twenty minutes. I think you should get your bony ass to your room and get ready!"  
  
Trowa rolled his emerald eyes at the use of Duo's language, and stood up from his kneeled position. "We are nearly done." He replied. "I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes, okay?"  
  
Duo nodded cheerfully and continued on his way to the fifth floor. He reached his door in no time at all and slowly pushed it open, prepared for another gust of wind.  
  
To his surprise, there was none. A quick scan of his room told him that the doors to his balcony were as shut as he had left them earlier that morning.  
  
Duo quickly flicked on the nearby light switch and padded across the Persian carpet to his large wooden dresser. Now where was that black sweater he was planning to wear? Pulling open the heavy drawers, Duo began rummaging through his personal belongings.  
  
The first drawer was filled with shirts and pants. The second one had boxers in both cotton and silk, and the third drawer held socks and several pairs of cotton pajamas. Every single article of clothing was in Duo's favorite color, which was black. But no sweater was to be found.  
  
Duo pushed the drawers back into place, a crease of frustration marring his normally smooth forehead. Now where in the world could he have put it? After a few seconds of contemplation, violet eyes brightened considerably and Duo moved to stand in front of his closet. He was being stupid. Of course! He remembered putting the sweater in his closet with a bunch of jackets and scarves.  
  
A quick search later still revealed no black sweater.  
  
The braided Preventer openly scowled. He was positive he had put that sweater in the closet! Maybe one of his friends had borrowed it without asking him...nah. That wasn't something they would do.  
  
With a big sigh, Duo shut the closet door and threw himself onto his bed. He lay there for a few minutes, letting the soft smoothness of the silk sheets alleviate his frustrations. That had been his favorite sweater, and he was upset that he had lost it so easily. Ah well. He'd buy another one when this mission was over. Duo let himself relax as he stared at the ceiling.  
  
His eyes quickly sought out the round, rust-colored stain, and he found himself sighing again. It was bigger, definitely bigger then before, which meant that the attic roof was indeed leaking. He'd have to see if he could get it fixed.  
  
Checking the watch on his wrist, Duo bit his lip and quickly sat up. It had been nearly ten minutes already, and Trowa was downstairs waiting for him.  
  
Well, he would just have to pick something else to wear. Duo swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. On an impulse, he glanced outside to check the weather. The rain was still coming down in torrents, and the sky was a dark, gloomy gray. The wind seemed to be blowing really hard, too, because from what he could see, the treetops were bending over like crazy.  
  
Duo was about to walk back to his closet when something he hadn't noticed before caught his attention. Lying in the middle of the balcony outside was a black crumpled heap.  
  
Narrowing his eyes curiously, Duo walked over to the balcony and peered through the glass doors. It was dark outside, but not *that* dark, and Duo immediately recognized the black thing for what it was.  
  
His sweater.  
  
Now what the hell was it doing out there?! With a dark and baffled look on his face, Duo pulled open one of the doors and quickly went to retrieve the prized article of clothing.  
  
It was freezing outside. The icy wind whistled and blew right through the thin shirt and pants he was wearing, raising goose bumps all over his skin.  
  
With his entire body shivering, Duo used one hand to scoop up his sweater from where it lay, discovering much to his dismay that the entire thing was drenched. It had most likely been outside for a very long time.  
  
Muttering curses under his breath, Duo turned to go back in...and froze. The balcony doors were both shut. But how could they be? He was pretty sure he hadn't closed them when he walked out. Maybe someone had...nah. Duo blinked rapidly for a few moments as if to clear his head.  
  
"Don't be stupid." He muttered to himself aloud. He really didn't want to become as paranoid as Heero. There were a lot of possible reasons why the doors were shut. Like...maybe the wind did it, or he had shut it himself without remembering.  
  
Deciding the latter was the best possible reason, Duo reached for the doorknob with every intention of going inside...when someone chuckled softly.  
  
With eyes wide, Duo stiffened and whipped around, his braid swinging a wide arc and smacking loudly against the glass doors behind him.  
  
There was nobody there.  
  
But this time, Duo was more suspicious. He treaded cautiously around the balcony, looking everywhere for signs of an intruder. When he was completely sure he was alone, Duo dazedly walked back into his room, convinced that he was slowly going insane.  
  
The first night here, he had thought he saw someone standing by his door. Now he was hearing voices on his balcony.  
  
"Maybe I just need more rest..." Duo mumbled to himself as he hung the sopping wet sweater over the bathtub to dry.  
  
The clothing he was wearing had become damp since he had been outside for so long, but Duo didn't bother to change out of them. He was late enough as it was...and despite Trowa's taciturn nature, there were times when the tall brunette had been known to snap at people for being late.  
  
Grabbing a thick jacket from his closet, Duo threw it on and began to run down the stairs, pausing only on a sudden impulse to lock the door to his room.  
  
Trowa was tapping his foot impatiently by the time Duo appeared, panting like he had just run a three-mile long marathon.  
  
"Duo, you need to learn how to not be late." The green-eyed Preventer reprimanded sternly. "Because of you, we now have only five minutes to get to class...which you know is not nearly enough time. We will be at least several minutes late for sure."  
  
Duo tried his best to look meek. "Uh...I know that, Tro. I'll try to be more on time in the future, kay?" Trowa was suddenly staring at him almost curiously. "Why are your clothes wet?"  
  
The braided young man suddenly looked indignant. "I was lookin' real hard for my black sweater, and in the end I found it lying in the middle of my balcony outside! It was drenched..." He explained unhappily. "I think someone's pullin' a stupid prank on me or something. Maybe it was one of those campus police guys when they came over today."  
  
He had decided to leave out the part about hearing someone laugh outside. Since in actuality there had been nobody there at all, he didn't want Trowa to think he was going crazy--like he thought he was.  
  
Trowa looked skeptical. "A prank?" He repeated slowly. "You think someone pulled a prank on you?"  
  
Duo opened his mouth to reply, but Heero's sudden voice robbed him of the chance.  
  
The tall cobalt-eyed Preventer walked up to Duo, his face an unreadable mask as he thrust a bouquet of six glossy black roses in front of his partner. They were tied together with a satin crimson ribbon. "This came for you while you were upstairs." He explained carefully.  
  
Duo stared at the seemingly innocent flowers, but made no move to take them. "Black roses..." He said doubtfully. "They're pretty...but definitely not my type. Who are they from?"  
  
Heero looked uncomfortable. "I don't know." He answered truthfully. "Someone knocked on the door ten minutes ago, and this was found lying on the doorstep."  
  
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Okay...then how do you know it's for me if nobody was there?"  
  
The taller young man looked expressionlessly at Trowa for a moment before looking back at Duo. "There was a card that came along with these roses. Wufei and Quatre are running tests on it as we speak."  
  
"Tests?" Duo repeated in confusion. "Why the hell are they testing it for? Oh...you mean they're testing it for fingerprints...am I right?"  
  
Trowa sighed and placed a hand on Duo's slender shoulder. "You might as well go see for yourself, Duo. We're already late so it won't matter. This is actually kind of important."  
  
The longhaired Preventer let himself be steered down the hall and into Wufei's tiny chambers. His Chinese and Arabian friends had set up a number of scientific equipment on the table; each one was specified for doing a certain job.  
  
Apparently, the testing was over because Wufei and Quatre were both sitting on the bed silently, with identical frowns on their faces.  
  
When all five young men were inside, Trowa shut the door behind them and leaned against it wordlessly. "So what were the results?" Heero demanded in a low voice.  
  
Wufei was clearly upset. The crease in his brow deepened as he lifted an arm, revealing the small glass vial that was gripped lightly between his fingers. "This is the result from the ink test." He explained as Heero took the vial from him. "It turns out that this card wasn't written in your normal red ink."  
  
Heero didn't look surprised as he brought the glass tube to his eye level and studied it carefully. "What was it then?"  
  
"Blood. But not human blood." Quatre answered solemnly. "There is also no trace of fingerprints, and the paper is the average type that can be bought from a stationary store."  
  
Duo had a permanently confused look on his face as he listened to the exchange. "Hey guys? How about showing me the card?" He asked a bit uncomfortably.  
  
Wufei nodded almost apologetically. "It's over there under the microscope." He pointed. Within a minute, Duo had the small piece of paper firmly in his grasp, and he began to read it slowly aloud.  
  
It was written in a flowery, flowing cursive.  
  
"To my violet-eyed beauty." Duo recited. "How I've missed you."  
  
Crinkling his forehead in puzzlement, Duo flipped the card over and back again. "That's it?" He asked in a slightly surprised voice. "Well I think it's uh...kinda super creepy...actually..."  
  
Everyone nodded and Duo quickly placed the card back on the table, as if he didn't want to touch it for too long. Turning to Quatre, Duo looked very serious as he asked the next question. "So if it wasn't written in human blood...then what was it?"  
  
Quatre's teal blue eyes reflected the trouble he was feeling.  
  
"Dogs blood. Not only that, but I checked up on its DNA and believe it or not...it matched perfectly with the DNA of Rereena's dead pet."  
  
There was a hushed silence, and Duo sat down heavily next to Wufei. The springs in the bed squeaked under their combined weight.  
  
"Well...that's just great..." Duo muttered unhappily. "This is the second prank someone's pulled on me today, and neither of them were funny ones either."  
  
Heero looked at him with a little worry concealed in his deep blue eyes. "Second? What was the first?"  
  
Sighing in frustration, Duo explained all about how he had found his favorite sweater sitting outside in the rain. It wasn't anywhere as big a deal as the roses were, but it meant something. The same person who had killed Rereena's dog was now terrorizing Duo. There was also no question that the card had been directed to the slender young man. Violet eyes were extremely rare, close to nonexistent.  
  
"I mean..." Duo continued. "We've got a number of suspects. It's either one of the girls in this house," His nose wrinkled in distaste, "Those three bastards at school, or someone else altogether which is unlikely. I don't think anyone else would know the color of my eyes."  
  
Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Bastards at school? Don't tell me you've gotten into a fight already..."  
  
Duo shrugged. "Yeah...well...I did. It wasn't my fault though." He shot a look at Heero, who was now leaning against the wall with both arms crossed over his chest.  
  
Beside him, Quatre was suddenly looking extremely nervous as he pressed a hand firmly over his chest.  
  
Trowa noticed this and his emerald eyes gleamed with concern. "Quatre? If something is wrong, please say it." He urged gently.  
  
All eyes directed to the fidgeting blonde, and Quatre couldn't help but flush in embarrassment. "No...no, it's nothing." He stammered in reply. "It's really nothing important."  
  
Trowa walked over to the Arabian and sat down next to him. "Please don't lie to us. Don't lie to me. Just say whatever is on your mind because we will not laugh at you." He placed a gentle hand on Quatre's arm and the blonde visibly relented.  
  
"Oh alright..." Quatre shot Trowa a grateful smile and took a deep breath before facing everyone else. "This might sound a little silly, but do you guys have the feeling...that something strange is going on?" He whispered slowly. "And I'm not talking about the pranks that someone keeps pulling."  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed, and Wufei sat up straighter. "What do you mean by 'strange' things?" The black-haired Asian asked curiously.  
  
Quatre flushed again. "Well...I'm not sure, but...but the first day we arrived, Duo and I heard laughing on the third floor. We assumed that it was the girls, but it turned out that the girls had left..."  
  
Duo bit his lip. "Yeah...I remember that too, but it didn't seem very serious..."  
  
"Not only that...but while we were playing cards, someone was knocking on Duo's door for a very long time. When we opened the door...there was nobody there." Quatre continued. "And last night...last night while I was sleeping, I woke up because someone in the hall was...was-"  
  
"-Singing." Trowa finished for him.  
  
The blonde looked surprised. "You heard it too?" He whispered hoarsely. Trowa nodded silently. "Yes...I heard it when I came down the stairs to..." His tanned cheeks looked pinker the usual. "...To check on you."  
  
Quatre couldn't help but blush. "Did--did you see who it was?" Trowa shook his head and looked away. "I checked around, but I couldn't locate the source of the sound. And the lights in Jenni's room were off."  
  
Wufei looked caught Trowa's gaze uneasily. "Come to think of it, I heard someone singing in the hall early this morning." He admitted. "I hoped that it was one of the girls, but I never went outside to check."  
  
Again, silence descended on the group of five Preventers in the tiny room. No one seemed to know what to say.  
  
After a minute or two, Duo released a forced laugh. He jumped to his feet and clamped his hands around Trowa's arm in a tight grip.  
  
"Uh...wow, look at the time! Me n' Trowa have to get to class before class actually ends. Um...so...we'll talk to you guys later, ok? Try not to think too hard about all this. I mean, we're Preventers! We'll figure out the answer to everything in time. Who knows, this might actually be linked to our mission somehow."  
  
With a hurried goodbye, Duo threw open the door and ran out, dragging Trowa behind him.  
  
When they were a good distance away from the mansion, Duo sighed heavily and cast an apologetic glance to his friend. "Sorry 'bout that, Trowa...but everything got too weird for me in there and I had to get away."  
  
Trowa nodded. "I understand how you feel. But I must ask you...do you believe what Quatre says about the 'strange things' that have been happening?"  
  
Duo was uncharacteristically quiet as he re-adjusted the grip on his black umbrella. His gaze was riveted to the drenched forest path in front of them. After several minutes of silent contemplation, he looked up and exhaled loudly.  
  
"I'm really not sure...but I'm leaning more towards yes then no." He finally answered. "Quatre's usually right about things. If he thinks something's going on, then there probably is. Though in this case, it's really too soon to tell."  
  
Trowa wordlessly agreed, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~$~*~*~*~*~  
  
Class was extremely uneventful.  
  
Duo and Trowa arrived only thirty minutes before the period was over, but they had another class scheduled directly after that, which was a good two hours long.  
  
Their second class turned out to be a philosophy course, and the professor was an old man with short white hair and tiny spectacles perched on a crooked nose. Dr. Murray was his name, and he spent the entire class period lecturing about the fundamentals of Nothing.  
  
This of course was exceedingly boring, and Duo immediately started dozing off, only to be awakened by the sound of his name.  
  
He sat up straight, noticing to his dismay that the good professor had stopped teaching and was now looking at him with a frown on his ancient features. "Mr. Maxwell, would you please repeat the last thing I said?"  
  
Duo flushed uncomfortably. "Err...um..." He didn't know what to say. From the corner of his eye, he saw Trowa shoot him an amused look.  
  
Dr. Murray sniffed in disdain. "I know you don't have the answer to my question, young man. Now pay attention next time or I will assign you some extra work to do." He turned to the class. "Write this down in your notebooks everyone! Science wishes to know nothing of Nothing."  
  
And so on and so on and so on.  
  
By the time class finally ended, Duo was so tired of hearing about Nothing that he was in a very bad mood. Not only that but he got caught dozing off a second time, and was now assigned extra homework as a punishment. He had to write a thousand-word essay on Nothing.  
  
"I'm going to kill Heero for giving us that class." Duo groused as he and Trowa walked through the halls.  
  
Trowa snorted in amusement. "You know very well that it was your own fault for not paying attention, Duo." Duo glared up at his friend. "It wasn't my fault." He defended unhappily. "Class was just too boring. Only boring people like yourself can even stand to be in a class like that!"  
  
Trowa raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm boring?" He asked in mild surprise. Duo rolled his eyes. "To tell the truth, yes. Do you ever make jokes? No. Do you ever laugh out loud? No. See? How can I *not* think you're boring?"  
  
Trowa actually managed to look miffed, and seeing this, Duo laughed nervously. "Ah...but even though I think you're boring, you're still one of my best friends, right Tro?" He added quickly, and Trowa looked somewhat appeased.  
  
The time was nearly six o' clock, and the two undercover Preventers were on their way to the dining area. Breakfast and lunch had somehow been forgotten in the confusion that morning, and both of them could feel the sharp pangs of hunger stab them in the stomach.  
  
Before they reached the entrance to the restaurant, Duo suddenly froze in dismay as he remembered something. He groaned aloud and smacked himself on the forehead with the palm of his hand. "Shit Trowa, I left my umbrella in Murray's class...so now I hafta go back and get it before he leaves."  
  
The tall brunette nodded. "I'll save a seat for you then." He offered.  
  
The braided young man shot his friend a grateful look before heading back the way they came. "I won't be long!" He called back.  
  
Trowa watched Duo's figure disappear around a corner before turning to enter the 'cafeteria'. To his surprise, Quatre and Wufei were there. The blonde he was so attracted to was waving his arm in the air trying to get his attention.  
  
A minute later, Trowa was seated comfortably at the table fit for four. Wufei looked at him curiously. "Where is Duo?" He questioned. Trowa explained about the umbrella, and Wufei shook his head wryly. "Well...I guess we can order first then."  
  
All three of them ordered the same thing, which was roasted salmon with lemon pepper, and a side of baked string beans.  
  
With Duo being absent, Quatre took over the job of making conversation. He did a fairly good job, and soon all three of them were deeply immersed in various confidential subjects about the Preventers and their current mission.  
  
So it wasn't until half an hour later that Trowa suddenly realized Duo hadn't returned yet. Normally he wouldn't have worried, but he suddenly recalled his small friend's off-hand reference to the 'three brutes' earlier that day.  
  
The tall brunette had his own suspicions about what Duo had meant. He hadn't missed seeing the strange and sudden bruise on Duo's cheek lately, but he had kept his thoughts to himself, as everyone else had.  
  
But with growing unease coiling in the pit of his stomach, Trowa abruptly stood up. His eyes were narrowed and his face was grim.  
  
"I'm going to look for Duo." He muttered before turning around and heading back out the door.  
  
Duo jogged silently down the deserted hallway. It had taken him and Trowa nearly ten minutes to walk to the dining area, but at his current speed it was possible that he could make it to the classroom and back again in only under seven.  
  
He just hoped that Dr. Murray hadn't locked up the room yet. It would be a big hassle if he had to share an umbrella with Trowa on the way back. The rain hadn't let up yet.  
  
Thinking about the weather made Duo furrow his brow. In fact, it had been raining for nearly two days now. The daily forecast in OaksTown had said BlackCedar's weather was to be sunny all week. Strange. Either the weatherman was nuts, or the clouds were.  
  
The classroom was at the end of the hall, and Duo reached in no time at all. His eyes widened in relief as he saw his umbrella propped up next to the door. Not surprisingly the door to the room was locked, but his teacher had been kind enough to leave it for him outside. Maybe the good Doctor was not such a bad soul after all, he mused thankfully.  
  
Smiling a little, Duo grabbed the umbrella and looked it over carefully, making sure it was really his. When he was satisfied, he turned around to jog back...when three hulking shapes suddenly stepped out from behind the corner.  
  
Duo mentally cursed his bad luck, and his grip tightened so much on the umbrella that his knuckles turned white. Riley, Chris, and Mark stood in front of him, each with disgusting smirks plastered on their faces. They stood side-by-side, filling up nearly the entire hall space, and effectively blocking him from going anywhere.  
  
"I suppose I already know what you guys want from me." Duo muttered in a tired voice. But his violet eyes glowed with suppressed energy, promising a good fight if any of them dared try to repeat yesterday's events.  
  
Mark smiled nastily. "I see that your friend isn't here today." He commented in an unusually nasal voice. "I'll have you know that my father was extremely upset that he broke my nose." Ah, so that's why he was talking so strange.  
  
"Once I get his name," He continued, "I can assure you that he will no longer have a place at this academy."  
  
Duo rolled his eyes and snorted. As if the principal would ever expel Heero. In fact, the principal had been the one to hire them in the first place. He and the campus police were the only ones that knew of the five's real identities.  
  
"Yeah yeah, enough with the threats. What do you plan on doing with me today?" Duo asked in a suspicious voice, even though he already had a pretty good idea of what their answer would be.  
  
Riley took a step forward. All traces of smirk were gone from his face, and he now sported a mask of stony anger instead. "We're gonna teach you a lesson on how to obey, you bitch." He growled in a low, menacing voice. "You're gonna pay for what your friend did to us yesterday. By the time we're through with you, you won't ever walk straight again."  
  
Duo scowled and brandished his umbrella as a weapon. "Why don't you just try?" He replied acidly. "Just warning you, but I won't be as easy to take down this time. You guys have no idea how embarrassed I was yesterday because I couldn't beat you on my own."  
  
Chris snorted dryly. "And what can you do to stop us?" He asked pointedly. "In case you haven't realized, pretty boy, but...you're a shrimp compared to us."  
  
Violet eyes flashed dangerously. This man was obviously insulting his size, and size was a very tender topic when it came to the longhaired Preventer. "We'll see." He growled angrily. "C'mon, what're you Fuckers waiting for? Bring it on!"  
  
Duo didn't exactly know how he was going to win the fight, but he was determined. He had an advantage this time in the form of a long black umbrella, and he planned on using it to jab out as many eyeballs as he could. However, he was not prepared for all three of his molesters to rush at him simultaneously, like charging football players.  
  
But Duo didn't panic. He stood there calmly, body crouched and tensed. When the three were almost upon him, he suddenly straightened leapt into action.  
  
"Fuck you!" Duo yelled, swinging his pointy umbrella in a wide, sweeping arc at his adversaries. The unexpected move forced the brutes to slow down and leap backwards to avoid getting hit. Chris wasn't fast enough, and as the umbrella swung towards him, he was smacked forcefully against the side of his face, hard enough to throw him off balance and thunk his head loudly against the smooth marble wall.  
  
His two friends' watched in shock as Chris's brown eyes rolled up into their sockets and he collapsed in an untidy heap on the floor.  
  
Duo could feel a serious smirk spread across his face. "That's more like it..." He muttered aloud. With one down, the sides were more even. Duo's chance of winning rose dramatically.  
  
"Who's next?" He growled.  
  
Riley and Mark both turned red with rage. "You'll pay for that!" One of them yelled as they threw themselves at Duo.  
  
This time, Duo wasn't so lucky. Before he knew it, he had lost his grip on the umbrella and the three of them were rolling on the floor in a wild brawl. Minutes rolled by.  
  
Duo grunted painfully as he felt one of Mark's blows connect with his lower abdomen, but he didn't relinquish his hold on Riley's hair. Viciously, he began yanking out locks of the short brown hair. Riley let out an agonized screech, and managed to buck Duo from his seat on his back.  
  
Rolling quickly to his feet, the furious Preventer dodged as Mark swung at him again with a rock-sized fist. He grabbed the meaty arm as it shot by. "You're *not* taking me down!" Duo yelled as he pulled Mark off balance and kneed him hard in the stomach.  
  
Mark released an "Oooof" and as he doubled over and clutched his stomach in agony. Realizing a chance to bring the fight down to one on one, Duo shoved Mark with all his might, watching in satisfaction as the thug hit the wall much like Chris did, and was knocked unconscious.  
  
Two down one to go.  
  
Riley was on his feet in a matter of seconds, and the two remaining fighters faced each other warily. Riley glanced at his unmoving friends from the corner of his eye. "Not bad." He admitted. "But not good enough." From the pocket of his pants, he produced a six-inch long, gleaming switchblade. The tip of it was speckled with dried blood.  
  
Duo narrowed his eyes as Riley began advancing towards him. "Tell me." He muttered stiffly. "Were you the ones that killed Rereena's dog?"  
  
Riley stopped and looked confused. "Are you talking about Muppet? Why would I kill my own sister's pet?"  
  
If Duo was surprised, he hid it well. Instead, he shook his head. "Never mind." And the fight resumed. With a loud battle cry, Riley suddenly lunged at Duo with his knife. The Preventer was prepared for that sort of move, and was about to dodge it when Riley's other hand came up, revealing a second blade.  
  
Duo desperately tried to twist his body in an awkward in an attempt to avoid both blows, but was slashed along the arm. The unexpected pain caught him off-guard, and Riley took that opportunity to slam Duo's head against the wall, blinding him with stars.  
  
"I win." He hissed merrily, holding one knife against the pale flesh of Duo's neck. His dark eyes glinted. "Now you're going to cooperate with me, and I'm gonna make it hurt as much as possible without killing you." Duo groaned incoherently and tried to blink away the blackness that had crept upon his vision.  
  
The slender young man found himself violently thrown to the cold floor. "Take off your clothes, or I'll do it for you." Riley commanded. His eyes gleamed with excitement. This was it. He was finally going to get what he wanted.  
  
Duo made no move to obey, and with a scowl Riley stepped forward, intent on carrying out his demands himself when someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"What is it!" He growled, not taking his eyes off the prone figure in front of him. "Can't you see I'm busy!?" Trowa's icy voice was the last thing he expected to hear. "Yes, but not for long." The tall green-eyed Preventer hissed as he drew back his fist and punched him in the face. Cartilage shattered underneath the force of the blow, and Riley let out a long shriek of pain.  
  
The twin blades clattered uselessly to the floor, and the bottom of Trowa's boot was the last thing Riley saw before he succumbed to oblivion.  
  
Trowa quickly knelt beside his fallen friend with worry in his eyes. The worry increased ten-fold when he realized blood was trickling down Duo's arm in a steady stream.  
  
"Duo...are you awake?" Trowa whispered, shaking the slender shoulder lightly. Duo's eyelids fluttered several times before he managed to get them open. "Tro--wa...is...that...chu?" He slurred incoherently. Trowa nodded and slipped a strong arm around Duo's shoulders, lifting him into a sitting position.  
  
"Come on, Duo. We had best leave before any one of those three wake up." Duo nodded once and began climbing to his feet with Trowa's help. When he was upright, Trowa was forced to place an arm around his waist to keep him from swaying like a drunkard.  
  
It was obvious that Duo had sustained a head injury. Trowa didn't know how bad it was, but he guessed it was a concussion.  
  
The two hobbled their way back to the dining area. Along the way, Duo became more coherent. "Ouch ouch ouch ouch..." He groaned under his breath. "My head hurts like a fucking bitch!" Trowa sighed softly. "I can imagine." He helped Duo settle down somewhere near the entrance to the dining hall.  
  
"Quatre and Wufei are in there. I will go get them and then we can go home, okay?" Duo let his eyes slip shut. "Sure." He croaked out tiredly. "But..uh...I'm kinda hungry. ..Ya think you can get me some food? And Heero too...I bet he hasn't...hasn't eaten nothin' yet..."  
  
The uni-banged young man couldn't help but smile sadly. Duo was still trying to take care of others even when he himself was hurt. He was one of the kindest people Trowa had ever known. "Of course." Was the reply before he quickly disappeared into the restaurant.  
  
Five minutes later the three Preventers emerged and Trowa quickly helped Duo to his feet. Quatre and Wufei had been told the tale, and the blonde had only extreme concern on his face, while the Chinese young man was clearly enraged.  
  
"Kisama! I will exact revenge!" Wufei swore when he saw the condition Duo was in. Duo cracked open a slightly unfocused eye, and forced a crooked grin. "Thanks Wu. Hey...didja get me dessert?"  
  
Wufei rolled his eyes but smiled reassuringly. "Yes Maxwell. There's a big slice of chocolate cake right here." Duo licked his chapped lips. "Mmm...Chocolate cake..." He reached to take the bags Wufei was carrying, but Quatre stopped him.  
  
"Not until we get back to the dorm, Duo." He reprimanded gently. "And only after you get your wounds treated."  
  
Duo nodded unresistingly, and they headed outside. It turned out that Duo's head injury was much more serious then it looked, because halfway to the mansion...he passed out.  
  
Everyone had been extremely worried and after failed attempts to get him to wake, Trowa hefted the slight body into his arms and they made it the rest of the way without any more problems.  
  
Heero had been the one to open the door. His cobalt-blue eyes had taken on a murderous glint when he caught sight of the battered Duo lying motionlessly in Trowa's strong arms.  
  
Before Quatre could open his mouth to explain, Heero cut him off. "I can guess what happened." He muttered with barely suppressed rage. The others exchanged surprised glances, but kept silent. Heero held out his arms, and Trowa carefully transferred Duo's limp body to him.  
  
"From what we can tell, the most serious is a concussion, and a knife wound in the arm." Trowa explained. "He also has numerous minor injuries."  
  
Heero nodded stiffly. "I will treat him. The first aid kit is in my room, so that is where I will take him."  
  
As he turned to go up the stairs, Quatre cleared his throat. "Heero, I'll heat up your dinner and bring it to you in half an hour, okay?"  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow. "Dinner?" He repeated. Quatre nodded and smiled. "Yes...Duo asked us to get you some because he was worried you'd be hungry."  
  
The cold fury in Heero's eyes softened as he took in the information. Looking down at his fragile partner, Heero felt his heart swell with an unidentifiable sensation. "Arigato, Quatre." The stoic young man murmured before silently walking up the stairs.  
  
~*~*~*~*~$~*~*~*~*~  
  
Duo was dreaming. He dreamed that he was flying. The air was filled with the sounds of children's laughter, and the songs of a thousand singing birds. Rainbows were everywhere, painting the sky with so much color that it seemed unreal.  
  
A genuine smile spread across his face as he let himself float in the air, feeling the cool breeze toy with his unbound tresses. This was freedom. This was utter, total, complete freedom.  
  
*tap tap tap, tap tap tap tap tap...*  
  
Duo strained his ears to catch more of that faint sound. Strange...it sounded so familiar. The sound of laughter and bell chimes slowly died away.  
  
*tap tap tap tap, tap tap tap...*  
  
Running a hand through his long hair, Duo frowned. There it was again. What in the world was it?! The rainbows in the sky suddenly disappeared.  
  
*tap tap tap, tap tap...*  
  
No more bird song, no more breeze. The sky suddenly became dark, and Duo found himself slowly floating downwards. No! What was happening?! Where was the light? And then even the floating stopped, and he was plummeting, plunging straight into the depths of an inky darkness.  
  
Duo awoke with a start. His violet eyes blinked open, and he found himself staring into the nondescript blue of a painted wooden ceiling. He was in Heero's room.  
  
It was just a dream. He slowly realized unhappily. Ah well...good dreams were always meant to end. With a small sigh, Duo attempted to sit up. He was not prepared for the sudden rush of blood to his head or his vision distorting, and he let himself lie down again. "What the hell..." He croaked aloud, and winced at the sound of his own voice.  
  
In fact, he suddenly realized his entire body ached as if someone had used him as their personal punching bag. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all.  
  
The sound of a door creaked open, and Duo instinctively turned his head to see who it was. He grimaced as the sudden movement caused pain to shoot up from his neck. Geezus, was there any part of his body that was not sore?!  
  
Heero stood framed in his bathroom doorway. In one hand was the first aid kit. In the other, was his black laptop. Ah...so that was what the tapping noise had been. Heero had been typing.  
  
Upon seeing Duo awake, Heero quickly strode over to him and placed the stuff on a nearby table. "Are you alright?" He asked softly.  
  
Duo grinned wryly. "As good as I can be considering what just happened." He admitted. The dark-haired young man suddenly looked enraged. "I will kill them." He swore menacingly. The injured young man looked slightly surprised, and then laughed. "You and Wufei both." He said smilingly.  
  
Heero watched the pale, delicate heart-shaped face of his partner for a brief moment before snapping open the first aid kit. He took out a tube of ointment, several band-aids, and some gauze before placing the kit on the ground.  
  
Duo looked up warily as Heero turned his intense gaze on him. "It's time to change your bandages." He announced quietly, and picked up the gauze.  
  
Violet eyes blinked in confusion. "Bandages? I didn't get *that* hurt, did I? What do I need bandages for?" He felt a feather light touch to his left arm, and looked down to see Heero fingering the baggy sleeve of his black shirt.  
  
Heero gently rolled the sleeve up...to reveal several crimson stained bandages that were wrapped neatly around his upper arm and elbow.  
  
Recognition made the fragile looking Preventer flush. "Oh yeah...I remember." He muttered in embarrassment. Wordlessly, Heero began unwrapping the dirty gauze. The gash in Duo's arm was long, jagged and wide, but thankfully very shallow. With careful treatment, it would barely scar.  
  
Duo watched in silence as Heero worked, feeling extremely thankful that he had friends to take care of him. When his arm was re-bandaged, Heero picked up the tube of ointment and uncapped it.  
  
"Take off your shi-" He began to say, but something caused his eyes to suddenly narrow, and he placed the tube back on the table.  
  
Duo looked at Heero in confusion as the taller Preventer stood up and stared at the ceiling with a frown on his handsome face.  
  
"...Heero? What's going on?" Duo whispered.  
  
Heero slowly put a finger to his lips, telling him without words to keep silent. "Listen." He replied.  
  
Duo obeyed. There was complete silence in the room, and this time Duo could hear what he had missed earlier.  
  
It was very faint, but it was there.  
  
*...creak....creak.....creeak...*  
  
Duo's eyes widened in surprise. Footsteps. Someone was walking in his room.  
  
He swallowed hard, and quickly shot a worried gaze to Heero. "I locked the door to my room this morning..." He hissed under his breath. "No one should be in there right now..."  
  
The creaking grew louder, and Heero silently went to his dresser and pulled open the first drawer. He lifted out his Preventers issued handgun.  
  
"This ends now." He muttered angrily. "Whoever it is must be the person...the intruder that is toying with us, with *you*." Flashing cobalt eyes locked with a pair of worried violet. "I'm going to make sure that nothing else happens until our mission is over. Stay here, Duo."  
  
Heero released the safety on his weapon, and began to walk across the room.  
  
Duo watched aghast as his best friend neared the door. Something felt very *wrong*, but he couldn't place what it was. All he knew was that his instincts were suddenly screaming to him that stepping outside of this room would be a bad mistake. A very bad mistake.  
  
*...creak...creak....creak...*  
  
The braided young man could feel his heart beat painfully in his chest as Heero reached out a hand to touch the doorknob. This wasn't right. He couldn't allow Heero to leave the room.  
  
"D-don't!" Duo suddenly shouted, and leapt from the bed. His entire body still ached from his recent brawl, but he forced himself to keep moving until he had latched himself firmly to Heero's left arm.  
  
The ominous footsteps stopped.  
  
Heero stared in surprise as Duo started dragging him back to the bed. "Duo, what are you doing?!" He started to ask, but one look in his partner's frightened violet eyes, and he shut his mouth.  
  
When they were both seated safely on the edge of Heero's bed, Duo bit his lip and looked up into a pair of concerned blue eyes. "D-don't go." He whispered nervously. "Something feels different. Wrong. Please stay here." His grip tightened on the taller young man's arm, and Heero couldn't help but notice that Duo was trembling.  
  
Hesitantly, he placed the gun next to him on the bed, and drew the shaking young man close to him. "Shh.." He whispered softly. "I'll stay. It's okay." He soothingly rubbed Duo's small back, watching in relief as the trembling stopped and Duo huddled closer to him.  
  
Duo didn't know what had come over him. His sixth sense had somehow gone haywire during the footsteps, but now that there was no more sound, he felt himself relax. Gods. He must look so weak in Heero's eyes.  
  
Raising his head in sudden embarrassment, Duo was about to express his thanks and move away when his senses suddenly flared back to life. Heero must've felt something too, because he stiffened. It became very cold.  
  
*...squeak...*  
  
Duo jerked his head towards the direction of the door. His breathing became ragged, and he watched with growing dread as the doorknob suddenly began to turn slowly, stopping halfway.  
  
Thank gods the door was locked.  
  
Something told him that it wasn't the other Preventers, but he couldn't help calling out anyway in a slightly shaking voice. "Who's there!?"  
  
The moment the words left his lips, the doorknob was suddenly released, reverting back to its original position. Distantly, Duo realized he was trembling again, and was grateful when Heero's grip tightened around him and he was pulled halfway into the taller man's lap.  
  
*Knock knock.*  
  
Heero slowly curled his hand around the gun again. Although he didn't show it, he was highly disturbed. This scenario was very much like the one that occurred last night. If he remembered correctly, the knocking would become louder.  
  
He was right.  
  
*Knock Knock Knock!*  
  
Raising the gun, Heero pointed it at the tall wooden door. "State your name and business!" He called out with authority, "Or no one in this room will be responsible for what will happen if you do not."  
  
His strong words seemed to anger the person behind the door, and the knocking quickly rose in intensity.  
  
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!!*  
  
Feeling Duo shudder against him, Heero put his finger on the trigger. "I'm warning you." He said louder. "Stop knocking or I will shoot!"  
  
And all of a sudden, there were no more knocks--the door was being pounded on so ferociously that with only a bit more pressure, Duo was sure it was going to fly off its hinges. Cracks appeared in the surrounding walls, and the entire room seemed to shudder with the force of each blow.  
  
Enough was enough.  
  
With a grim expression on his face, Heero tightened his finger on the trigger and fired one shot.  
  
*BANG!!!*  
  
And there was silence.  
  
For five minutes, neither of the two Preventers dared move an inch or make a sound. It was eerily quiet, but for the sounds of their breathing. When he couldn't sit still anymore, Duo carefully shifted off of Heero's lap and unsteadily stood up.  
  
"I...think it's over." He whispered hoarsely.  
  
Wordlessly, Heero nodded and also stood up. With quick, purposeful steps, he strode to the door and stared at the spot where his bullet had gone through. His aim had been perfect as usual, and there was a quarter sized hole smack in the center of the heavy wooden door.  
  
Duo walked towards Heero uncomfortably. "Do you...think you killed the person?" He asked hesitantly. Heero shrugged and placed his hand on the doorknob. "Why don't we find out." He muttered before unlocking the door and yanking it open.  
  
A gust of cold air billowed into their room, making the goose bumps on Duo's sensitive skin rise. The hall was dark and empty. All the wall lamps had been turned off, and the only source of light came from Heero's room.  
  
Heero slowly stepped into the hall, his gun held firmly in one hand. "Stay behind me, Duo." He instructed. Duo clenched his jaw tightly as they crept out of the room. He was rightfully scared, and so he clenched his fist around the fabric of Heero's blue tank top.  
  
Progress was slow because Heero double-checked everything around them before moving on. They were heading down the hall towards Rereena's room.  
  
The violet-eyed Preventer couldn't help but feel something cold firm up in his chest the closer they got. Rereena's door was slightly ajar, and the light inside was turned off.  
  
The small antique clock on the wall read ten-thirty.  
  
At length, the both of them stood silently in front of Rereena's door. There was no sound coming from inside. "Rereena?" Duo called out slowly. "If you're in there, say something!"  
  
There wasn't a reply, and Duo released his breath. "She's not in there." He muttered with a little relief. Heero didn't look so sure. With his gun, he slowly pushed open the door, and warm air blew out.  
  
Their noses were suddenly assaulted by the scent of something heavy and coppery. The smell was so strong that Duo nearly gagged before he covered his nose with his sleeve.  
  
Reaching a hand into the room, Heero felt along the wall for the light switch. A moment later, he found it...and the electric lights flickered on.  
  
They weren't prepared for what they saw. With only one look, Duo was bent over noisily sick. Heero was pale, his cobalt eyes wide with shock as stared into the chamber.  
  
A body so mangled it was hard to identify lay motionless on the bed. Chunks of flesh and bone were scattered around the carpet, and the walls had been painted in bright red.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Notes: *chuckles nervously* Personally, I didn't like this chapter very much. It turned out much longer, and much cheesier then I thought it would. I was trying to fit too much stuff in here, and so I was lazy on detail too. In fact, parts of it still don't make sense to me, and I'm too lazy to change it. Oh well. Like it? Hate it?  
  
******Please review!********  
  
I would love to hear what you think about this chapter! 


	3. Part Three

Notes: Ugg...It has been a month and more since I've updated. If it isn't the SAT's, it's college applications...*sigh* But I'm finally done with them both so now I can spend more time writing. This makes me happy. Well um...I want to thank Krista Perry for giving me such good advice about how I should just write what I write, and not stress so much about pleasing my reviewers. (Hehe) I do *not* want writer's block...  
  
Well, to all my reviewers, THANK YOU!! I can't adequately express how much I appreciate each and every one of your comments. I'm aware that I have little confidence in what I write, but your reviews have really helped raised the bar on my 'self-esteem' meter!  
  
Now on with the chapter!!  
  
WARNINGS: Uh...gore. It's actually pretty nasty. I never thought I'd write something like this...but hey. I'm trying new things all the time.^^;;  
  
***This story is strictly 1+/x2 and 3+/x4. Gundam Wing does Not belong to me.  
  
~~~Part Three~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
Duo couldn't sleep.  
  
The clock on the wall read four in the morning. His room was pitch black, and nearly completely silent but for the sound of heavy rain hitting the balcony outside. Yes it was *still* raining. Three consecutive days of non-stop rain was *really* getting on his nerves. He was tired, oh yes, he was *very* tired, but no matter how hard he tried to will himself into dreamless oblivion, all his efforts were in vain.  
  
Images kept on running through his head. In his mind's eye, he could still see the hall, the slightly open door to her room, and the carnage inside that had caused him to lose everything he had in his stomach last night...which wasn't all that much. He had vomited mostly stomach acid, and even now he could still remember the feel of it coming up his throat and burning its way out of his mouth.  
  
The blood-tinted air had smelled so bad...Duo could feel his stomach churn just to think about it.  
  
After several moments of stunned silence, Heero had curled a strong, reassuring arm around his waist and hauled him away from the ghastly scene.  
  
The other Preventers were immediately informed of what had happened, and the campus police had been called shortly after. There was much confusion, much questioning, and a very, very thorough investigation had taken place.  
  
This time, the officers triple-checked every single room in the mansion and the surrounding forests within a ten-mile radius. Unfortunately, they didn't come across the murderer, but there had been loads of evidence found.  
  
A team of scientists had also arrived at the scene of crime. They quickly set to work, analyzing the mutilated body, the gore painted on the walls, and the various bits of everything else that had been sprayed all over the carpet for evidence.  
  
The identity of the body itself was impossible to decipher by looks alone, but after a few quick tests, the victim's DNA was found to be matched with the DNA of one Rereena Darvian.  
  
No one was really surprised, since the mess had been found in her room after all.  
  
Duo let out a tired sigh and rolled over onto his back. He pulled the thick silk covers up to his chin, and lay there silently, staring unblinkingly into the darkness.  
  
What came next had been a shocker. During the investigation, a long, sharp cleaver and cheese grater had been found, stained with congealed streaks of Rereena's blood. Although this in itself wasn't extremely surprising, the fact that the weapon was discovered underneath Sarah's bed was.  
  
At first, nobody honestly believed that Rereena's best friend was the murderer even though the evidence was extremely incriminating. Sarah had protested sorrowfully, her sky-blue eyes red-rimmed with tears. "Why in the world would I do something like this?!" She shouted out in anguish during her brief interrogation. The authorities believed her until they found her fingerprints on the blade's handle.  
  
Sarah was ordered to be cuffed and led away to the school holding cell. She would later be transported to the small jailhouse in OaksTown, and then to the state prison if she was convicted guilty in court...which was a likely possibility.  
  
The braided Preventer tried to suppress a cringe as he recalled how Sarah acted before she was taken away. The anguish from losing her best friend combined with the new charges of being the murderer had taken its toll on her, and she had cracked.  
  
Sarah succumbed to a fit of insanity when the officers cuffed her. She refused to cooperate with anyone. Instead, her eyes had taken a wild gleam to them...and she had collapsed to the ground and thrashed about, screaming her innocence at the top of her lungs, completely heedless of the fact that saliva was foaming in her mouth and dribbling down her chin. To others, she bore a likeness to that of a rabid dog. Bony fingers clenched tightly around locks of her own brown hair, and she mindlessly yanked it out in tufts.  
  
After a good fifteen minutes of trying to talk some sense into her with no avail, the campus police had finally been forced to tranquilize her using a dart from Heero's stash in the closet.  
  
Sarah's unusual breakdown only convinced investigators and everyone else that she was indeed the killer. One individual among the team of scientists was a certified psychologist, and the unfortunate brunette was immediately diagnosed with a mental disorder, which accounted for the reason why she might have killed her friend.  
  
The investigation continued long after Sarah was carted off.  
  
Authorities didn't think anyone would want to use Rereena's room after what had happened, and so the scene of death had been cleaned up; the bloody walls washed and painted over in white, the stained carpet torn out, and every single piece of furniture in the room removed. All this was done in under an hour, and soon the only window and door to the room were sealed tightly shut, barricaded with iron bolts and thick sheets of steel.  
  
Duo didn't really think all those restraints were necessary since no one in the right mind would want to enter Rereena's room anyway.  
  
The violet-eyed Preventer was feeling extremely embarrassed for being so uneasy during the mysterious noises that occurred before Rereena's death was discovered. Eighty percent of him was now positive that the creepy pounding on the door and creaking of footsteps on the ceiling had been caused by a mentally unstable Sarah, who had managed to pick the lock to his door.  
  
Duo had his suspicions that Sarah was the one who targeted him and Rereena all along. The innocent looking girl was most likely the reason for Rereena's dead dog, the letter addressed to him with black roses, and even for the time he found his sweater outside in the rain.  
  
He believed that she planned to kill him first, but her plans had been thwarted by the fact that he was in Heero's room that night, and Heero had been there to protect him. So instead, Sarah had gone after her other target, and succeeded.  
  
The Relena Peacecraft look-a-like was dead, and Duo couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Although the blonde had annoyed the hell out of the former pilots, she hadn't done anything remotely super-wrong...and so it was a shame she had been slaughtered even more grotesquely then her dog was.  
  
It was after Rereena's family was notified when the investigators uncovered one interesting aspect of the mansion that nobody had known before.  
  
It had to do with attic. Since the door was locked, none of the Preventers had tried going in. There hadn't been a good reason to, since an attic was just an attic.  
  
Instead of picking the lock as either Duo or Heero would have done, the authorities used an axe to chop down the attic door...revealing to everyone's surprise that a red brick wall had been built in front of the doorway, blocking the entrance to the attic itself.  
  
This wall raised much suspicion, and for nearly half an hour, each brick and seam had been carefully poked and prodded to check for hidden switches or buttons that would somehow make the thing swing open.  
  
Their efforts were fruitless. No amount of searching would yield their desired results, and in the end a new attic door had been used to replace the previous one. There was a good chance that somebody had built the wall in order to hide something, but the police team in charge of the investigation had dismissed the idea of tearing it down because they deemed it irrelevant to do so. After all, the murderer had already been caught.  
  
He glanced at the wall again. Six o' clock. Had he really been lying here for several hours already? Duo sighed. He was still slightly upset over yesterday's events, but his feelings had cooled down some, and he was ready to work again.  
  
Heero had finally given him his schedule last night, so he knew he didn't have class today. Getting up was a pain despite his insomnia. The mansion had a few drawbacks, and one of them was that there wasn't a heater or cooler system in any of the rooms. Individuals had to bring their own if they were easily affected by the weather. Like Duo was.  
  
After snuggling in his sheets for a few more moments, Duo sighed and sat up slowly. His movements were sluggish. As he stretched his arms and yawned, the blanket slipped down to his waist, and he suddenly became aware of just how cold it was in his room. So cold in fact, he could see his breath mist in the air.  
  
Grumbling uncomfortably, Duo quickly rubbed his arms in an attempt to get rid of the goose bumps that had suddenly risen there. When that didn't work, he hopped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom, turning on the water to his big luxurious Jacuzzi.  
  
Ten minutes later, he was immersed in the hot steamy bath up to his neck, his long chestnut hair loose and billowing gently in the water. Much to his satisfaction, Duo noticed that lined neatly along the edge of the Jacuzzi was a long row of elegant glass bottles, each of them filled with a different colored substance. Bubble bath.  
  
Leaning closer, he selected a swirly-shaped bottle, examining it slowly before pulling out the glass cork. Immediately the sweet refreshing scent of lavender wafted up his nostrils. It smelled good, so Duo dumped half the bottle into his bath, watching in interest as the water turned blue and soft foam began to bubble on the surface.  
  
Pleased with results, he let himself relax into a reclining position and lazily dangled the half empty bottle of scented bubble mix in front of his eyes. The color, he noted, was a medium blue with just the lightest tint of violet. It was a pretty color, but Duo felt that it could never hold a candle to the intense cobalt of Heero's blue eyes. Come to think of it, he couldn't think of *any* shade of blue that could match, let alone beat Hee-  
  
Wait a second. Why in the world was he thinking of Heero right now, let alone comparing his eye color with that of bubble mix?! Heero was his friend. During the war they were partners, and in the Preventers, they were often paired up as well. This was no surprise because everyone knew Shinigami and the Perfect Soldier worked well with each other despite obvious personality differences.  
  
It was also common knowledge to anyone who knew them that Duo was loud and cheerful, a joker and prankster that despite his dangerous job, had a deep love for life and merriment that others couldn't begin to fathom.  
  
On the contrary, Heero was the exact opposite. He was cold and calculating, not quite as cold as before, but certainly enough to make others wary of him and stay out of his way. He was a person that cared for little beyond his missions, and he rarely openly displayed his emotions.  
  
With a sigh, Duo gingerly put the bottle back to its original place. His brows furrowed slightly as they always did when he was deep in thought. Heero. Everyone at Preventers Headquarters with the exception of Une believed that he was indeed a cold-hearted bastard, and Heero never did anything to assuage that image he projected.  
  
If anything, he somehow managed to *enforce* it with his constant anti- social and unfriendly personality habits. Only around the other pilots did he act any different. Duo felt himself smile at the remembrance of last night's better moments. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he hadn't forgotten the deep concern reflected in his partner's mesmerizing blue eyes, or the way Heero had wrapped strong arms around him and pulled him into a secure, warm embrace.  
  
Duo flushed in embarrassment at a sudden realization...he had been sitting on Heero's *lap* for gods sake! He had leaned against that hard, warm chest, and Heero had rubbed comforting circles over his back. Not only that but he could never forget the way Heero had carried him after his first run in with those thugs.  
  
Swallowing hard, Duo sank lower into the hot steamy water until only the upper half of his head was peeking out. Come to think of it, never in all his life had he known Heero to act like that. It was true that the dark- haired pilot often cared more openly for his friends when he knew something was bothering them, but the most Duo had ever seen him do was offer a glass of water, or suggest some rest.  
  
But last night...  
  
Duo angrily scrubbed his cheeks in a half-hearted attempt to get rid of the blush that stained them. Geez...what the hell was wrong with him?! So what if Heero had deviated from his normal monotone offers. It didn't change a thing. Duo knew that he had been a wuss last night, too pathetic to be an ex-Gundam pilot and current Preventer. He had actually been *trembling* in fright! That was completely unacceptable. Maybe Heero only did what he did out of pity.  
  
The thought made Duo's blush magically disappear. Grimly, the violet-eyed Preventer sat back up and reached for a tall bottle of the fruit scented shampoo he brought with him, and furiously began to lather his hair.  
  
//No more weakness in front of Heero...in front of *anyone*.// Duo silently promised himself. He was a Preventer. He was still Shinigami, and he had a reputation to live up to.  
  
...But as he rinsed out his hair, the memory of Heero's protective embrace lingered in his mind, and Duo turned red again...this time with frustration.  
  
"Enough is enough!" He shouted at himself and slapped the water with anger, causing clumps of pale blue foam to fly into the air and stick to the black marble walls. His fingertips felt shriveled and he realized that it had been quite a long time since the beginning of his soak.  
  
He was turning into a prune.  
  
With a long reluctant sigh, Duo stood up and turned to unhook a towel from the wall...just as the door to the bathroom swung open.  
  
"Duo, I need to tell you tha-" Heero's voice suddenly died on him as he stared at the nude form of his partner. His cobalt eyes widened as he took in the glistening wet locks of beautiful chestnut hair that were plastered invitingly to milky white, flawless skin that looked too smooth to touch.  
  
His throat became uncomfortably dry, and he suddenly regretted entering without knocking.  
  
Duo yelped in surprise as a cold gust of wind accompanied the opening of his door. Yanking the towel off the hook, he quickly wrapped it around his waist and turned around. "Close the fucking door, Heero!" He commanded as he glared at his best friend, flashing violet eyes both startled and annoyed.  
  
When that was done, Duo stepped out of the Jacuzzi and scowled at Heero who still stood frozen in the doorway. He grabbed another towel off the rack and began to wring the water out of his hair. "I *really* have to teach you to knock so you don't burst in like this next time Hee-chan. So what was so important that it couldn't wait until I was done with my bath? Did you find a lead to our mission?"  
  
For reasons unknown, Heero couldn't tear his eyes away from Duo's enticing body. It wasn't that he had never seen his partner naked before. Contrary to belief, Duo wasn't body shy, and he had seen Duo naked plenty of times during the War. But that had been two years ago. Back then he had never really paid attention because completing the mission was his focus. But now, Heero wished he had.  
  
Duo's body was complete eye-candy. His neck was long and smooth, with little trace of an Adam's apple. Firm muscles rippled gently underneath a pale layer of satin skin as two white arms reached up to towel off his hair. Those thin shoulders were lightly muscled, making him look deceptively frail...but Heero knew better. Shinigami could trick many people with his harmless appearance, but never Heero. Duo had killed more then enough soldiers with the help of those shoulders and arms.  
  
Letting his eyes wander lower, Heero noted the slender, gently tapered waist that was so trim he knew he could encircle it effortlessly with just one arm. And there were those hips, smooth and narrow, lightly curved to perfection. Beyond that was the white bath towel that was so big it concealed everything else with the exception of Duo's small feet, but Heero knew that behind that towel, those legs would be long, supple, and beautiful, just like the rest of him.  
  
"Um...Heero?"  
  
He jerked his eyes up to meet Duo's quizzical gaze, and immediately recalled the questions he had been asked. Refusing to let himself be embarrassed, Heero cleared his throat and responded in his deep toneless voice. "I just wanted to tell you that Trowa, Quatre and I have class today. We will not be back until seven tonight."  
  
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Uh...okay. What else?"  
  
Heero clenched his jaw firmly, staring deep into the large violet pools of his partner's exquisite eyes. "Breakfast is waiting in the kitchen. That is all." Without another word, he turned and left.  
  
The braided young man blinked in confusion as he deftly unwrapped the towel from his waist in order to dry his legs. Was it just him, or was Heero acting strange today? He had seemed distracted, as if something was bothering him. Well considering last night's events... With a tired exhale, Duo began to pull on his clothes. Whatever it was, he hoped Heero would be alright.  
  
Heero quickly strode into his room and closed the door behind him. Letting out a soft exhale, he leaned back against the door and shut his eyes. Gods, what in the world was he thinking, looking at Duo like that?  
  
He could admit to himself that he harbored hidden affection for his smaller partner, but this was going too far. So what if Duo was kind, funny, friendly, intelligent, caring, strong, and...impossibly beautiful like he just recently discovered? That didn't mean a thing. Duo was also stubborn, rude, loud, obnoxious, sarcastic, impulsive, and childish at times.  
  
But even so, why couldn't Heero stop thinking about him? Why couldn't he stop worrying about him whenever they were apart? Why did he have to feel so goddamn protective all the time? And just when did he start feeling this way?  
  
Lifting his head just so he could let it fall back against the door with a dull, lifeless thump, Heero opened his pained blue eyes and sighed. "Baka." He whispered to himself.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~$~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Breakfast was cold by the time Duo made it downstairs. Wufei was sitting at the dining table, dressed in a plain white robe. He held a cup of cooling tea in one hand, and a book in the other. The onyx-eyed Preventer raised an eyebrow as he watched Duo stare at his plate in disgust.  
  
"I take it you do not like Swedish bacon and deviled crab eggs?" He asked dryly before taking a sip of his tea. Duo looked up and frowned, putting down his fork. His nose was wrinkled in distaste. "So that's what this is? Yuck..." He muttered and stood up.  
  
Wufei watched as his friend dumped the plate in the sink before rummaging through the many cupboards in his search for something to eat. "I'm sick of this place..." Duo complained as he sifted through various cans and packages of 'caviar' and 'preserved turtle eggs'. "Isn't there anything *normal* to eat around here?! I'm *sick* of all this weird food!"  
  
After ten full minutes of fruitless search, Duo finally came across a small pink box of something called Peace Flakes. Printed all over the box's surface were the words 'Good for Peace, Good for Life.' "What the hell..." He stared at the cover on the box incredulously before bursting into laughter. "Oh man...Wufei you hafta look at this!"  
  
Duo thrust the box in front of his Chinese friend, watching with amusement as Wufei's eyes widened and he began to chuckle. "I've heard rumors that Relena was trying to spread more propaganda for peace, but Maxwell...who would have thought that she would do something like this!" Duo grinned widely and took out a glass bowl from the pantry. He nabbed the box from Wufei and opened it, pouring some of its contents into his bowl.  
  
It was just as the cover advertised. Each crispy flake of corn was shaped either like a heart, chibi-Relena, Chibi-Heero, or both together holding hands. Wufei shook his head in disbelief. "I never thought that Relena's infatuation would run this deep..." Duo nodded in agreement as he poured some milk over the cereal. "Yup. Heero's gonna flip when he see's this."  
  
Wufei gave Duo a strange look as his braided companion picked up a spoon. "Don't tell me you're actually going to eat that!"  
  
Duo shrugged and lifted the silver utensil to his lips. "Relax, Fei! Its just cereal. I don't care what shape it's in as long as it'll taste normal. You guys might not mind all this fancy stuff, but I certainly do." With that said, he shoved the spoon into his mouth and crunched.  
  
"Mmmm cinnamon...not bad..."  
  
Wufei rolled his eyes and finished off his tea. "Try not to eat too much, Maxwell. Lunch will be in two hours. You wouldn't want to spoil your appetite since I'm going to cook something good."  
  
Duo nearly choked on a mouthful of cereal. "You?! You can cook?! Will wonders never cease!" His comment earned him a glare. "Of course I can cook." Wufei told him smugly. "Who do you think I am, you?" It was common knowledge that the braided pilot couldn't cook to save his life. Wufei and the others had several times tasted his version of scrambled eggs and meatloaf...and it didn't take them long to vow never to eat anything else Duo made. It was that bad.  
  
With a short huff, Duo picked up his bowl and the box of cereal. "I'm going to watch some TV." He announced aloud before pretending to storm off. He wasn't upset at all that nobody liked his cooking, but it had become a quirky ritual for him to pretend to be when he really wasn't.  
  
As he entered the living room, Duo couldn't keep the tired sigh from escaping his throat. Normally he wasn't one to complain, but this mission was really fraying his nerves...and they had barely just started! Already he was sick of the materialistic and artificial beauty of the mansion they were staying in. And the food too! It was too different for his simple tastes. Duo knew that he would never be cut out for this sort of life. He couldn't wait for the mission to be over so he could go back to his cozy one bedroom apartment in Sank.  
  
Flopping down on the plushy couch, he picked up the remote and turned on the television. The welcoming tune of the Neo-Simpson's introductory song floated to his ears, and he smiled. Finally something that was familiar! He watched this show all the time, and Homer's idiocy amused him. Too bad this was an old episode.  
  
Duo rapidly flipped through the channels, finding nothing good to watch until he stopped on HDO, one of the few movie channels.  
  
"Up next is the classic film, Rush Hour 2." A voice announced, and the photo of a Chinese man and a Black man leaning against each other was displayed on the screen. Duo put down the remote in interest. It was little known to others that he had a thing for extremely old films.  
  
He soon learned that Rush Hour 2 was a comedy, filled with cheesy yet hilarious situations that had him laughing in no time. The film was set in Hong Kong...a presently demolished and abandoned nuclear waste dump, but it was obvious from the film that there used to be a ton of people living there.  
  
Duo was so enraptured that he didn't notice the time fly by. Before he knew it, the movie was over, his cereal bowl empty, and Wufei was calling him from the kitchen.  
  
"Maxwell, lunch!"  
  
With a satisfied sigh, he stood up and padded back into the kitchen with his dirty dishes. The moment he entered, his nose was immediately assaulted by the scent of savory meat and soy sauce. Wufei was currently bent over the open oven, thick oven mitts fitted snugly over his hands. The dark-eyed Preventer shot him a smug look over his shoulder. "Go set the table."  
  
*30 minutes later...*  
  
Duo released a satisfied groan as he leaned back in his chair and patted his aching tummy. "Oh geezus, that was a damn good meal..." He complimented.  
  
Wufei imitated Duo in position and smiled, a content look on his face. The remains of his baked duck and rice masterpiece lay in the center of the table. It was a new recipe that he had come up with a few months ago. Cooking was only one of the several indications that post-war life had changed him. No longer was he the impatient, spiteful, and easily angered young man that had piloted the Gundam Shenlong. Without a war to fight and the revenge for his clan complete, he had allowed himself to take a new path in life.  
  
Like Heero, Wufei devoted his life to the Preventers, though for completely different reasons. Heero needed the missions that came with the job to keep him sane, but on the other hand, Wufei did it only because it was an excellent way for him to keep upholding justice.  
  
And recently, a secret relationship had been forming between Sally and himself, which was all the more reason to stay a Preventer.  
  
/Ding dong//  
  
The sudden loud chime of the doorbell drew Wufei from his quiet self- reflection. He attempted to get up, but his too full stomach twinged most uncomfortably. "Maxwell, get the door!" He commanded instead.  
  
Duo shook his head apologetically. "No can do, Wu-man. I ate way more then you did and even breathing is hard for me right now." He exaggerated.  
  
Wufei scowled and struggled to stand up. Duo did have a point...the baka had eaten twice the amount he himself had...and if he was feeling so full, his friend was honestly even more so.  
  
Muttering under his breath, the martial artist managed to stand on his feet and waddle uncomfortably into the main hall.  
  
//Ding dong...ding dong//  
  
"Alright alright, I'm coming." The Preventer called loudly as he unlatched the lock and pulled the door open.  
  
Surprisingly, there was nobody there to greet him.  
  
With suspicious, narrowed eyes, Wufei peered into the gloomy weather, searching for the individual or individuals that had rang the doorbell.  
  
Nothing. Only the constant pattering of rain and violent whistling of the wind. With a final glance around, Wufei shut the door and locked it securely. He walked back to the kitchen with a frown on his face.  
  
Duo was in the same position as before. "So who was it?" He asked as he used a finger to trace idle patterns over the tabletop.  
  
Wufei took a seat and shrugged. "I don't know. There was no one there." His eyes hardened. "I think I will install a security camera over the front door sometime later today. Just to be safe."  
  
Duo opened his mouth to agree, but before he had the chance to...  
  
//Ding dong, Ding dong//  
  
The violet-eyed young man yawned and stood up unsteadily. "I'll get it." He said dryly. Wufei looked a bit wary, but kept silent.  
  
This time it was Duo who walked out of the kitchen. His soft footsteps echoed loudly in the spacious hall. Strangely enough, he could feel his goose bumps rise underneath his clothes, and there were sudden chills that were going down his spine. Did the temperature just go down about ten degrees, or was it just him?  
  
//Ding-dong, Ding-dong, Ding Dong!!!//  
  
Feeling mildly perturbed, Duo quickly unlocked the door and opened it up a crack that was only big enough to peek out of.  
  
Again, there wasn't anyone standing there. Grumbling in frustration, he swung the door open the rest of the way and scanned the darkness just as Wufei had done. Convinced that this was just some prank pulled by a snooty college youngster, Duo turned to leave when something caught his eye.  
  
Lying on the doorstep was a small black box.  
  
Wufei looked at Duo curiously as the braided one walked back into the kitchen with something in his hands. "What are you holding?" He asked.  
  
Duo thunked the box carelessly in front of his friend. "Just this thing that someone left on the doorstep." He replied nonchalantly.  
  
Picking up the box, the Chinese Preventer analyzed it carefully. It was a pretty normal looking thing as far as he could see. About the size of four soapboxes stacked together, and wrapped in delicate blue ribbon. Very inconspicuous looking...but Wufei couldn't take any chances. He held it to his ear and rattled it gently. There was no sound, but a small white piece of paper was accidentally dislodged from the underside of the box, and slowly began to flutter to the ground.  
  
Duo easily caught it in mid air. "It's a note." He commented blandly as he handed it back to Wufei. "...Open it."  
  
The Chinese Preventer couldn't help but feel slightly disturbed as he unfolded the innocent looking paper three times before laying it flat against the table so Duo could read it too.  
  
"...Don't tell me Sarah broke out of jail..." Duo groaned aloud as he stared at the letter with disbelief in his eyes.  
  
Wufei licked his dry lips and shook his head. He didn't know what to say. Written in hauntingly familiar crimson script were four eerie words.  
  
//Proof of my love.//  
  
Accompanying those words were several gleaming strands of long chestnut hair that had been delicately pasted to the inside of the paper.  
  
*~*~*~^^  
  
"...Do you want to open it?" Wufei asked softly as he fingered the small box. His voice was strong yet hesitant at the same time. Duo drew in a shaky breath and slumped into the seat next to his friend. "No...why don't we wait until the others get back, k?"  
  
Wufei nodded solemnly. "Of course, that would be the best thing to do."  
  
There was a deep stifling silence. Both Preventers were lost in thought as they concentrated on the problem at hand. Duo's mind was going a mile a minute. There were so many possibilities about what lay in the box, who sent the box...and...wait a minute, how in the world had someone managed to get their hands on his hair?!  
  
With that sudden realization, Duo shot up from his chair. "I've got it!" He exclaimed loudly.  
  
Wufei raised an eyebrow and Duo managed to look serious. "You know, I seriously doubt that Sarah could escape from custody...so it can't be her. But I *do* know that the only people here who've come in physical contact with me other then you guys, are those idiots that keep hitting on me at school."  
  
His nose wrinkled in distaste at the very thought. "When I got in a fight with them yesterday, some of my hair probably got pulled out. One of those guys was Rereena's brother, and so he's probably been told everything that happened in here by now. I'll bet he's the one that sent this..."  
  
The black-haired Preventer didn't look quite convinced. "Uh...Maxwell, as brutal and uncouth as that man might be, I seriously doubt he would do this the day after his sister's death."  
  
Duo looked contemplative. "Maybe it was his friends then..."  
  
Wufei shrugged and stood up, He picked up the note, careful not to smudge it with his fingerprints. "Clean up the table here. I will go to my room and try to analyze this letter to the best of my ability."  
  
No sooner were the words out of his mouth...the electric lights suddenly flickered and died out, plunging the entire house into an eerie darkness.  
  
"Aww man...this totally sucks!" Duo groaned as he groped along the wall for the light switch. After a few moments, he reached it and turned it off, then flicked it back on again.  
  
Nothing.  
  
With a long suffering sigh, Duo stumbled over to where Wufei was standing. "Nope...doesn't work. I think the wind might've damaged the power lines or something."  
  
Wufei narrowed his eyes contemplatively as he stared out the kitchen window. It was indeed a pretty dreary day. Outside, it looked like nighttime even though the clock on the wall read a few minutes past three. The rain was quite loud as it splattered over the drenched earth, and the wind was howling equally loudly, causing the mansion to creak and groan periodically. But come to think of it, the weather had been worse last night...and nothing had happened to the power lines then.  
  
Without revealing his unsettling thoughts, Wufei turned to look at Duo who was also staring out the window. Those large violet eyes were darkened to a deep royal purple.  
  
"Duo, come with me. I recall that Heero packed a few flashlights with the emergency supplies."  
  
The braided young man was biting his lower lip, and Wufei noticed that he had both arms wrapped tightly around his torso as if he were afraid of the cold.  
  
Cold? Onyx eyes widened and he involuntarily shivered. It *was* cold! Strange...how could the temperature have changed so suddenly?! None of the windows were open.  
  
Little puffs of delicate steam were forming in the air as they breathed.  
  
"Must be a leak somewhere in the building." Wufei muttered to assure himself as he led the way out of the kitchen and up the stairs.  
  
It was slow going because the staircases were so dark, each step had to be placed carefully in order to avoid tripping.  
  
Duo winced as the next step he took caused a loud creak to reverberate throughout the silent mansion. For some reason, he wanted to stay as quiet as possible. Foreboding tension hung thick in the air, and it smothered him into submission. It made him feel wrong to make more noise then necessary.  
  
As they passed the third floor, Duo thought he heard footsteps thudding lightly towards them from across the short hallway. Pausing in his ascent, he stared hard into the darkness and strained his ears to pick up more of the sound.  
  
It was extremely faint, but he could here it. With jaw clenched, Duo tightened his grip on the wooden railing and furrowed his brow. Was there actually someone else inside the mansion besides he and Wufei?  
  
He hoped not. The steps began to grow louder, faster. They were headed straight for the stairs, Duo realized uncomfortably. He wet his dry lips and tried even harder to see who it was.  
  
Faster and faster, louder and louder came the strange footfalls. The person was clearly running now. Duo was torn between the desire to wait and see, or dash the rest of the way up the stairs.  
  
//Great...I'm feeling scared again...// He thought disgustedly to himself, but he couldn't help it. Icy cold chills kept on running up and down his spine. He felt as if someone was trailing their freezing fingertips over the skin on his chest. His heart was thudding so loudly that he could hear it in his ears. And he was holding his breath for fear of drowning if he let go.  
  
Too late. He couldn't make his decision in time, and so it had been made for him. The steps were upon him now. Just three more seconds...two...one...  
  
"Duo?" Like someone had just uttered a magic word, the thick penetrating tension suddenly dissipated, and with it went the footsteps. He whirled around to stare at Wufei with wide owlish eyes.  
  
His friend stood several steps above him, an impatient yet curious look on his stern face. "What are you looking at?" Duo released the breath he had been holding and sagged tiredly against the rails. "Oh man...Fei, you didn't...hear anything...did you?" The Chinese Preventer shook his head slowly. "Why do you ask?"  
  
The slender Preventer swallowed hard. He looked slightly sick. "Uh...nothing then...I think. Just aftershocks of my concussion acting up again..." He joked in a hoarse voice.  
  
His friend gave him a queer look but didn't comment, for which Duo was grateful. They made it to the fourth floor without any more problems.  
  
"Dammit!" Wufei cursed as he tried the doorknob. "Heero locked his door. I don't suppose you have your lock picks with you right now, do you?" Duo swung his long braid around to the front and prodded at it gently before flashing his friend a sheepish look. "Uh...sorry. I must've forgotten to put them back in after washing my hair this morning."  
  
Wufei shrugged, "No matter. I know that Trowa keeps some lock picks inside his room. I'll be right back." He turned to leave. "Er...wait!" Duo shouted, but was too late. Wufei had already gone down the stairs.  
  
Sighing heavily, Duo leaned against the wall and slowly slid down until he was sitting on the floor. "Stupid." He whispered to himself after several silent moments. He had meant to ask Wufei if he could go with him, and was glad that he hadn't. It would only have shown how inept and childishly dependent he was.  
  
Sarah was gone. He was imagining things because he was paranoid or something. Or maybe the concussion had damaged him some how.  
  
"Just get your wits together, Maxwell." He murmured to himself with a faint smile. Glancing up, Duo squinted at the clock on the wall just as the long hand ticked, making the time exactly three thirty in the afternoon.  
  
Three thirty. There were still a few hours before Heero and the others would get back. He wondered what Heero was doing right now...  
  
With a loud frustrated curse, Duo brought his hands up to hold his temples. Dammit! Why was he thinking about Heero _again_!? //Just a friend. Just a friend..// He mentally chanted to himself. Yes. Heero was his friend. His *best* friend in fact. It was reasonable to think about him more often then he thought about others, right? Right.  
  
Feeling reassured, Duo yawned and rubbed his arms absently. It had been ten minutes. What in the world was taking Wufei so long? He shivered. Was it getting colder in here? The braided Preventer logically looked up at the only window on the fourth floor.  
  
Nope, the window was still shut, the old-fashioned latch strong enough to hold both glass shutters closed even though the wind was rattling against it rather noisily.  
  
And as he watched, pale, spidery fingers slowly began to reach out from the heavy curtains surrounding the window.  
  
"Holy shit!" Duo gasped and jerked back, not quite believing what he was seeing. The curtains weren't very long. There was definitely not enough room for someone to be hiding behind them. "Oh man I'm seein' things again." Duo whispered almost inaudibly. But he couldn't bring himself to look away.  
  
The fingers were followed by a hand, then slowly, a wrist, and a thin arm. The arm was broken, Duo realized with no small amount of trepidation. Although it was dark, he could see that gleaming white bone was sticking out of it at a painful angle. The flesh on the arm sagged so much that he was afraid it was going to suddenly rot away. And it did.  
  
With a soft plop, the meat on the entire bottom half of the arm fell onto the windowsill...and yet the appendage kept moving. Those bony fingers were splayed out widely, as if searching for something. The arm had over- extended itself, however...because with a sickening crack, the tendons ripped at the elbow, and soon the bottom half of the limb was dangling limply, supported only by a thin stretch of flesh still connected to the elbow.  
  
Dark liquid gushed out of the new wound, filling the air with its stench.  
  
//Duo!//  
  
The dangling limb began to spin slowly, around and around and around...  
  
//Duo, wake up!//  
  
Blood splattered against the wall with every slow turn, and the connecting strip of skin twisted tighter and tighter...  
  
//DUO!//  
  
...Until it suddenly broke...  
  
//Heero, he's not breathing!//  
  
And in slow motion, the appendage began to fall...those thin fingers spasming, clenching at nothing in the air.  
  
//Move out of the way!//  
  
Duo felt something soft and firm press insistently to his lips, and a gush of warm air streamed down to inflate his lungs.  
  
//Again! He's still not breathing!//  
  
Quatre's voice? Was he hearing Quatre's voice? But they hadn't come back yet, had they? He wondered why he felt so numb. Another breath of air. Someone was applying pressure to the area above his stomach.  
  
//Gods...Duo, don't do this to me! Please...//  
  
Heero. That was definitely Heero's voice. But why had his friend sounded so desperate? Was it something he had done?  
  
//Wake up...//  
  
...And why was he lying on his back? Reality finally crashed over him like a wave, and he rolled to one side, coughing loudly and inhaling deep, gasping breaths of air. "Duo! You're awake!" He heard Quatre exclaim happily. "We were so worried about you!"  
  
As he finally caught his breath, Duo looked up, seeing all four of his friends standing over him, each with varying expressions of concern on their faces.  
  
"Hey guys..." He greeted weakly. "What...what the fuck happened?"  
  
Heero tenderly reached out to brush a lock of chestnut hair from his face. His cobalt blue eyes were endless as he locked gazes with tired yet bewildered violet. "That's what we would like to know." He admitted in a deep, relieved voice.  
  
The fragile looking young man swallowed hard as the image of the arm flashed through his mind for a split second. He fixed his troubled gaze to the fourth floor window, but there was nothing there. No sign of blood or rotting flesh, no arm at all.  
  
"I think...I'm losing my mind." He replied hesitantly. "I...keep on seeing and hearing things that aren't there." To his surprise, everyone looked relieved. "Is that all?" Quatre asked, and strangely enough, he was smiling. Duo nodded and everyone exchanged knowing glances.  
  
Duo scowled. "Ok, what are you guys keeping from me?" He demanded. Wufei looked slightly embarrassed. "Well you see, we all agreed that you needed more rest because of yesterday's events...so I put a dissolved sleeping pill into your portion of lunch this afternoon."  
  
The braided Preventer was livid. "I don't want you guys to baby me! I can take care of myself just fine..and shit, didn't you remember that sleeping pills have no effect on me? I took so many during the War that I'm practically immune to them now!"  
  
Trowa nodded. "We remembered that Duo, so we gave you a slightly altered version of the pill." Wufei chuckled. "Who would've known that it would cause you to have hallucinations instead?" His comment was far from appreciated as Duo shot him a dark glare.  
  
Heero looked serious as he spoke next. "Hallucinations were part of the unwanted side-effects, yes. But it should not have caused you any sort of difficulties in breathing. You should not have passed out."  
  
//Gods...Duo, don't do this to me! Please...// Duo couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. How could he ever forget the way Heero had sounded? He cocked his head to the side and looked up at his partner inquiringly. "Hee-chan, were you worried about me?" Heero stiffened at the use of his pet name in public. Duo *never* called him that unless they were alone.  
  
Nevertheless, the dark-haired Preventer reached out and covered Duo's small hands with his own larger ones. "You have no idea." He answered truthfully, a rare smile gracing the corners of his lips.  
  
Duo fought to keep himself from blushing at the affectionate gesture, but didn't pull away. "So...so what happened?" He asked again. "And how come you guys are back so soon?" Trowa leaned against the wall, arms crossed nonchalantly over his chest, but Duo could see that he was tense.  
  
The emerald-eyed Preventer looked at his smaller friend with worry in his eyes. "If you don't know, then we don't know. BlackCedars has canceled the rest of class today because the weather has been steadily getting worse. That is why we are back earlier then we should be. As we entered, Wufei was yelling upstairs and so we went to see what the problem was."  
  
The blonde Arabian who had been silent until now moved to sit down next to Duo. The look in his eyes was an exact replica of Trowa's. "You were lying on the carpet...not breathing and not moving. We thought...we thought you were dead!"  
  
Duo paled slightly. "But I don't understand..." Was his hallucination the cause for everything? He bit his lip, troubled. Hopefully not...and yet...  
  
He didn't know what to think.  
  
With a forced smile, Duo slipped his hands from under Heero's and slowly staggered to his feet. His knees were weak and they threatened to give out under his weight, but Heero was there, gently holding him up by the elbow. "Do you want me to carry you?" The cobalt-eyed young man asked softly. Duo shook his head and shot him a grateful look. As great as that sounded, he didn't think it would be a good idea considering the fact that he wanted to get Heero _out_ of his mind. Being in his arms would only cause the opposite effect.  
  
As they made their way downstairs in awkward silence, Duo suddenly realized two things; the electric lights were on, and it wasn't cold anymore. He decided to ask Wufei about it, and the Chinese Preventer shrugged. "Apparently it was only a temporary black out." He explained. "The lights came on just as I made it to Trowa's room." Wufei didn't have an answer for the cold, and Duo sensed that his friend was slightly disturbed because of it.  
  
Duo was disturbed too, though he tried not to show it. In fact, he was disturbed about a lot of things lately...and the list seemed to keep growing longer and longer. The image of the arm flashed through his head again, and he sighed heavily. //Just a pill-induced hallucination.// He mentally reminded himself. Just that, and nothing more. He had to stop dwelling on it. There were a lot more important things to think of right now. Like the mission...and...of course! How could he have forgotten!?"  
  
"The box!" Duo suddenly exclaimed. "Holy shit, let's go open the damned box!" Quatre shot him a curious look. "What are you talking about?" He asked, and Wufei proceeded to tell them everything, including the card.  
  
Heero had been less then pleased to hear about the strands of Duo's hair. "Show me." He had commanded stiffly, eyes hardened into chips of blue ice.  
  
As they finally reached the ground floor, Duo quickly dashed into the kitchen and grabbed the box with both hands. He was in such a hurry that he didn't notice the bottom of the thing was sopping wet, and moisture was leaking all over his fingers.  
  
Wufei was talking quite rapidly when he entered the living room. All of the Preventers were sitting down and passing around the note that had accompanied the 'present'. Trowa was the first to notice him, and as the uni-banged Preventer stood up to look at the box...his green eyes widened, and he froze.  
  
One by one, everyone else turned to look at Duo, and each of them soon had different forms of shock or horror on their faces. Duo stared at them in surprise. "Uh...do I have something on my face?" He joked nervously as he walked over to the coffee table.  
  
Quatre shook his head mutely, the look in his eyes was so...so *strange* that Duo's uneasiness increased ten-fold. He began to get slightly annoyed. "Um...guys?" He asked slowly. "What is it? You're seriously freaking me out here."  
  
Trowa cleared his throat. "Duo. You are not...injured, are you?" The braided Preventer shook his head. "Nope... not unless you count the brawl, insomnia, hallucinations, and suddenly passing out and not breathing. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"  
  
Before he could be replied, the box in his hands suddenly moved a little...or rather, something inside of the box caused it to move. Duo was so surprised that he dropped the thing, and it landed on the coffee table with a wet sounding splat.  
  
"What the-" Duo stared down at the thing in mild surprise. His breath caught in his throat. Were those...droplets of blood staining the coffee table? The box suddenly moved again, and Duo swallowed hard. How come he hadn't noticed before? The entire thing was practically *soaked* in the dark red fluid. Then that meant...Duo raised his trembling hands into his line of sight.  
  
Covered. The front of his shirt was too. "Great...and this was the only day I decided to wear my only gray shirt..." He heard himself whisper. How come he was feeling so faint? The room was suddenly spinning before his eyes, and for a brief moment, he felt like he was falling. Visions of the arm came back, but they were mixed in with new ones he had never seen before. His eyes slipped shut.  
  
//Creak...swish...the body swung as it dangled from the chandeliers, a line of blood streamed steadily onto the shiny dining table.//  
  
"...Duo?"  
  
//She ran down the hall screaming...her body was on fire. Skin boiled and blackened, slowly melting away there was nothing left but charred bones.//  
  
Hands grabbed him roughly by the shoulders. "Not again...Duo, please!"  
  
//The arm...it was the arm again, except this time there was a shoulder too, and with the shoulder came a head, and a torso. It was a woman, dressed in a sleeveless nightgown. Her face had no eyes but a mouth. As he watched, the mouth suddenly split into a wide, eerie grin... and as she reached for him with her broken arms, her rotting breasts detached from her chest and slid to the floor. //  
  
Duo wrenched open his eyes and gasped loudly. His eyes were feverish, his pale skin flushed. Distantly he realized he had been pulled into Heero's arms, and the his much larger friend was rocking him back and forth, those deep blue eyes filled with so much emotion that Duo would've been struck dumb if he had seen them in any other situation.  
  
"No...more pills, okay? I keep on hallucinating...damn I think I'm gonna pass out..." Heero tightened his grip on Duo as those jeweled amethyst eyes slipped shut, and the slightly trembling body became limp. Alarmed, he quickly checked for vital signs, and was relieved when he discovered Duo was still breathing. For a split second, he had been afraid this was to be a repeat of what happened earlier.  
  
Glancing up, he noticed the other three looking at him strangely. "What?" He growled, seriously displeased. Wufei looked away. "Nothing...it just seems that you...never mind." Heero narrowed his eyes but kept silent.  
  
Quatre cringed as he glanced at the box on the table, then at the stains on Duo's hands and shirt. "I'll go get a towel." He murmured before walking off into the kitchen. Trowa sat back down and Wufei followed suit. All three of them alternated between staring at the box, and at Duo.  
  
Trowa was the first to break the silence. "Duo looks very young when he is not awake." He commented in a soft voice. Heero nodded hesitantly in agreement as he shifted the body in his arms so that Duo's head was leaning against his chest, and the rest of his body was lying horizontally across Heero's lap. It was obvious that he wasn't planning to relinquish his hold any time soon.  
  
Wufei frowned as he noticed that although unconscious, Duo had a troubled look on his face. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you think keeps causing him to...to have these episodes?" He asked quietly. "Is it the hallucinations?"  
  
Heero looked grim. "I don't know." He finally replied, "Maybe he has a health problem that we do not know of yet."  
  
Trowa shook his head. "That doesn't seem likely. Duo was fine until we got here. Personally I think his condition is caused by the stress he has undergone these past few days." His emerald eyes softened slightly as he noted the dark circles surrounding Duo's large eyes. The color contrasted noticeably against his pale white, almost sickly skin.  
  
Looking away, Trowa turned his attention back on the bloody box that still sat untouched in the middle of the coffee table. "I'm almost afraid to see what's inside it." He confessed honestly. "Judging by all that blood, it is definitely not a good thing."  
  
The Chinese Preventer leaned forward and placed both hands on his knees. "There wasn't any blood when we first got it." He said absently. "The blood must have seeped through the box when we were upstairs."  
  
Quatre reappeared from the kitchen and immediately went to washing the gore off of Duo's limp hands. "Don't forget that it's moving." He reminded nervously. "There's probably something alive in there..." The box twitched again.  
  
"Why don't we just open it and see what it is." Heero muttered impatiently as he helped Quatre maneuver Duo out of his stained shirt. The braided pilot was wearing a gray tank top underneath it, and Heero couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw it, though slightly disappointed as well.  
  
With a distasteful look on his face, Wufei reached for the box and gingerly began undoing the elaborate knot on the very top. When that was done, he took off the ribbon and lay it on the table.  
  
Then he easily took the cover off the box, careful not to touch it more then necessary. Inside was a bloodstained plastic bag. Wufei grimaced and covered his nose with one hand as a nasty stench filled the air. "It stinks!" He cursed and sat back. "Trowa, you finish it!"  
  
The uni-banged young man shrugged and with one hand, grabbed the plastic bag and pulled it out of the box.  
  
There was a stunned silence that lasted for several long moments.  
  
"Oh my..." Quatre finally whispered, finding nothing else to say that could accurately convey the emotions he was feeling.  
  
Nobody else said anything. They didn't need to because it was evident from their reactions that they were all thinking the same thing. Someone was seriously out to get Duo. Someone other then Sarah. This wasn't a game anymore, because inside the bag...  
  
Inside the bag was a freshly removed heart, half-submerged in dark red fluid. There was a hole in the corner, which accounted for the leaks. A steady stream of blood dripped onto the tabletop, forming a small crimson puddle. But that wasn't all.  
  
The heart was still beating.  
  
  
  
  
  
Notes: I seriously can't wait to finish this story and get it off my hands. I'm not pleased with how my chapters are turning out *at all* and it totally sucks. Well, I've already started on the next part, and hopefully it won't take as long to write as this one did.  
  
***Here are some clarifications:  
  
How can a heart beat after its been taken out? ~I don't know, but I *think* I've heard that it was possible. So...I wrote it in. Yup.  
  
The box moved? What's that all about? ~It was the heart beating. Yeah I know...that was kinda poorly planned, but I was in a hurry!  
  
Do sleeping pills cause hallucinations? ~Lol, probably not, but as I said, they're 'altered' pills...  
  
Why does Duo keep on blacking out? ~Because I like it that way. I'm not saying I'm a sadist, but it just seems to work out that way. Besides, he gets more 'Heero time' like that. I'm writing it all as I go along.  
  
What's with the gory 'hallucinations?' ~Erm...again, I'm not too sure, but it *will* lead to something.  
  
~Well, uh...as you see, I really have no idea what I'm writing...(lol....) but I won't abandon this story (like I'm abandoning my other one I think...).  
  
  
  
**Please Review!*** I loooove feedback! Please tell me how I'm doing, what I should change, what you liked, and what sounds good in the future!*** 


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